Lamezia, located in the heart of Calabria, offers a vibrant experience for wine tourism enthusiasts. This intriguing region is celebrated for its indigenous grape varieties, including Gaglioppo and Greco, producing bold reds and crisp whites. Explore the scenic landscapes dotted with vineyards and immerse yourself in the local culture by visiting family-owned wineries. Don’t miss the opportunity to sample the area's unique wines, such as Cirò and Savuto, while enjoying the breathtaking coastal views.
The cherished sub-region of Lamezia, located in mountainous Calabria, Southern Italy, has an array of wines known worldwide for their eminence and distinction. Lamezia’s sophistication and reach are mainly due to the grape varietals, the climate, and the excellent care from the area’s winemakers. Producing red, rosé, and white wines, all these elements contribute to a style of wine found nowhere else in Italy or the world. The red wine, or Lamezia Rosso, represents the best the name of Lamezia, Italy, given that the majority of wine produced in the region is red. However, Lamezia wine can also be white or rosé, made from different grape varieties; therefore, there is a wine to find for any taste.
Find out more about Wine Tasting and Tours in Lamezia
Lamezia DOC (Denominazione di Origine Controllata) is a sub-region of Calabria, a prominent wine-producing area in the South of Italy. The nearest city is Lamezia Terme, north of the Lamezia vineyards. The vineyard extend 11 hectares through the municipalities of Curinga, Falerna, Feroleto Antico, Gizzeria, Lamezia Terme, Maida, Pianopoli and San Pietro a Maida in the province of Catanzaro, and Francavilla Angitola in the province of Vibo Valentia. This area is where Apennine mountains stretch 150 miles (241.4 km), unbroken, connecting Lamezia to central Campania. Other wine appellations in Calabria, neighbouring Lamenzia are Terre di Cosenza, Savuto, Melissa and Ciro, all producing distinctive and topographically characterized wines.
The viticulture in the Lamezia region dates back to the Greek era when they were ruling the region. First, they started with silk production and its export, which was later replaced by winemaking and made the region more prestigious than before. However, the wine business has not flourished as expected during all these centuries in Lamezia, Calabria. The region only started to produce quality wines in the 20th century, which brought much fame, and eventually, it could earn appellation status in 1978. Although Lamezia is an authorized DOC (Denominazione di Origine Controllata), highly appreciated by the country, its export of wine is still minimal.
Due to its location, the Lamezia wine region is quite windy, and cooling breezes come from the Mediterranean Sea, evoked by the nearness to the mountains. The proximity to the sea is also crucial for adequate drainage during the intense summer heat. The climate is still Mediterranean; the Lamezia weather seems warm in summer, especially hot during the day, and moderately cold in winter. The heat minimizes the risk of vine diseases, especially fungal, and therefore contributes to the high quality of wines. The winters are short, and there are no threats of frost. The vineyards sit at the maximum altitude of 1,800 m above sea level, and the area is surprisingly flat. The Lamezia soil is rich in minerals, made up of clay and sand, allowing an excellent drainage system. This terroir provides great conditions for cultivating grapes and producing wine.
Lamezia wines are pretty diversified, and the region produces a great variety of red, white, rosé, sparkling, and even dessert wines. The grape varieties from which the rosé and red wines are made are Nerello Mascalese and Nerello Cappuccio, which are Sicilian varieties, along with the local ones such as Gaglioppo, Greco Nero, Nocera and Nero d’Avola/Calabrese. The red wines have cherry, plums, cocoa, tobacco, and spices flavours. Red wines are consumed both young, called Novello like French Beaujolais, and aged. The minimum ageing period apart from Novello wine is two years, from which six months of ageing in an oak barrel is mandatory, and for Riserva is three years with six months to one year of barrel ageing. Lamezia white wine is produced in lesser amounts from authorized grape varieties such as Greco Bianco, Malvasia Bianca and Ansonica, and they have refreshing citrus flavours. All Lamezia wines have an alcohol content of 10-12%; only Riserva has up to 16%. Spumante, meaning Lamezia sparkling wine, is almost mono-varietal produced from 85% Greco Bianco or Montonico Bianco, while the rest, 15%, can be any other authorized grape variety. As for Passito, which is a desert, sweet kind of wine, it can be made of 50% Greco Bianco and 50% Montonico Bianco blend also, respective percentage of other authorized grapes can be used for this blend.
The Calabrian version of Rigatoni, a very famous Italian dish, is made of rigatoni pasta, tomato sauce of tomatoes, hot peppers, onions, garlic, basil, parsley, olive oil, salt and pepper, porcini mushrooms, prosciutto Crudo, sausage and topped with pecorino cheese. This succulent and meaty pasta dish pairs exceptionally well with Lamezia red wine.
Asparagus Soup is a rich and creamy Italian dish originating from the region of Calabria. Zuppa di asparagi is a kind of cream soup made of sautéed asparagus with garlic in olive oil, to which stock, eggs, pecorino cheese, salt, and pepper are added until getting a creamy texture. Topped with fresh parsley and even more cheese, asparagus soup is fantastic to savour with crispy slices of baguette and, of course, a glass of Lamezia white wine.
Salsiccia di Calabria is a local version of spicy sausage like chorizo in Spain. This sausage is seasoned with salt, pepper, chilli, and fennel seeds and matured for at least a month. Salsiccia di Calabria plays a significant part in shaping the platter of appetizers with some mature cheese, making an excellent accompaniment for your favourite Lamezia wine.
The Museo Archeológico Lametino was built in 1997 and divided into three sections over the years. The Prehistory section, complemented by its objects from the Stone Age or Palaeolithic Era, contains some fascinating discoveries. The first section offers you an introduction to the history of Calabria and its culture; also, human life remains. The second section includes information about the prisons in Terina, Italy, and the third section houses materials from Nicastro Castle.
This beautiful church is a historical monument of Lamezia dating back to the 12th century. Its spacious nave and marble pilasters make it very impressive from the inside. The view of the city is breathtaking, and at night the lights on the top seem very beautiful.
This stunning castle is a historic landmark of Lamezia Terme and has a significant meaning. The old building, partially destroyed but not renovated, gives a great impression of authenticity. According to annals, this castle was built sometime between the ninth and eleventh century and served as a place of defence for local people. Also, many leaders used it for various purposes in different historical eras.
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