Wine
The mission: recovery and redevelopment of the ancient native Guardavalle grape
Guardavalle has a very unusual claim to fame. Not only is it the name of the local grape varietal but also the zone of production, generating the name, Guardavalle di Guardavalle!
Its origins are full of mystery. Some associate it with Greco Bianco and some with white Mantonico but today, the Guardavalle grape is at risk as only a few hundred bottles are produced each year from the few remaining vineyards.
Since 2015, Francesco Quaranta (agronomist), Daniele Manini (cellar master) and Cosimo Murace (oenologist and producer) have been working to save this native grape and have produced a Guardavalle still white wine and a sparkling wine.
The recovery of this particular grape demonstrates how a 100% Calabrian grape variety can produce high quality wines that pait beautifully with classic regional dishes of cured meats and mature cheeses or fried fish.
From an ancient grape to a territory
The recovery of the Guardavalle grape is about much more than producing a wine.
It means bringing back something that belongs to this place: its vineyards, its agricultural traditions, its flavours and the knowledge of the people who have preserved them over time.
This is why wine has become one of the starting points of the wider Guardavalle project.
The next step
The first experimental wines have shown the potential of this ancient native grape.
The next step is to bring new vineyards back to the hills around Guardavalle, increase production and create the conditions for this wine to become part of a wider experience of the territory.
Wine, local products, agriculture, hospitality and the life of the village are not separate elements.
A winw that belongs to its place
Guardavalle wine, both still and sparkling, is an expression of the territory from which it comes.
Our aim is not simply to bring back an almost forgotten grape variety, but to make it part of the future of this community.
A wine to discover.
A territory to experience.
Would you like to know more?
Discover the Guardavalle project and the story we are building around this place.
The rebirth of an ancient vine, forgotten for years, but which demonstrates its great character in the bubbles!
Guardavalle wine, both in the still and sparkling versions, worthily represents the territory from which it comes.
