Scala > Calabria

In the Scala family since 1949, the domaine is now run by Luigi Scala, who leads the production of Cirò wines following family traditions. From the growing of the grapes to the refinement and aging of the wines, he favors quality over quantity and aims to produce a distinguished Calabrian wine. The winery is truly a family business as Francisco Scala oversees the business side of the winery.

The vineyard is comprised of 18 hectares for an overall production of 100,000 bottles. Most of the grapes are native varieties such as Gaglioppo, Magliocco, Nerello, Mantonico and Greco. They are cultivated in espalier on the hinterland plains and hills, on argillaceous and sandy soil.

Farming/vinification practices: Scala exclusively uses organic products, such as lupins to fertilize the vineyards; it provides the soil with nitrogen and helps eliminate weeds. Luigi's grandfather used indigenous yeasts, but the current winemaker chooses to inoculate. They are now certified organic, starting with the 2016 vintage.

Scala Website

Ciro - Bianco

100 % Greco, from vineyards located in Cirò (Crotone district), 100 to 150 meters above sea level. The vines were planted in 1997 and face south/south-east. They are trained in espalier. The grapes are manually harvested the second half of September. They are destemmed, softly pressed, and undergo fermentation in temperature-controlled stainless steel tanks - 16° to 18° C (61 to 64F) in order to preserve the aromas. After the fermentation, the wine is racked and left in tanks for 4 months. Nose of white flowers. 12% alcohol.

Ciro - Rosso Classico Superiore

100% Gaglioppo, a medium-sized, thick-skinned grape indigenous to Southern Italy and best known for the production of Cirò DOC.
The grapes comes from a vineyard called "Franza", in Contrada Franza (municipality of Cirò), in the region of Calabria. The ownership of the land goes back to the 17th century. It was previously cultivated with olive trees and citrus groves, and turned into a vineyard in 1965. The soil is clay and sand, with a South/South East exposure and 10 year old vines trained as espaliers.
The grapes are de-stemmed, then macerate at 77F until the fermentation is completed. After a soft pressing, the wine is racked and left in cement tanks for a minimum of 10 to 12 months. 13.5% Alcohol.

Ciro - Rosato

100% Gaglioppo from estate vineyards located in Cirò (Crotone district), with a south/south-east exposure - sand and clay soil. The vines were planted in 1987 and 1997 and are trained in espalier. The grapes are hand-picked during the first half of October. After removing the stalks, the grapes ferment for about 24 hours, then about 60% of the must is drawn off and fermentation continues for the rest in temperature-controlled containers set between 14° and 16° C. At the end of the alcoholic fermentation, the wine is racked and left in stainless steel tanks for at least 3 months. After bottling, the wine rests another month before release. Copper color, elegant and bright with fresh fruit and red flower notes. 13.5% Alcohol.