Traclo'

지역: 이탈리아 Calabria, Italy

1년 총 생산량: 약 5.000

Trying to reach Carmelo and Bruno was a mission impossible… zero digital, just an old Nokia phone, but also living in a thick stone wall house in a remote village in Calabria (most southern Italy region) with no signal made it so hard.

I finally was able to speak with him and arrange our meeting. He said no worries I will be in the main village square you will find me there every day before lunch. Also, in my Region in small villages this was an old tradition. Usually, farmers go to work very early in the morning and by noon they finish their work and gather in the main square to chat and exchange some social relations before heading back home.

When I arrived in the village that is on the top of a mountain all the houses are old and made in stone. We are in Italy, but all streets’ signs are in ancient Greek alphabet in fact this and other few villages of Calabria that preserved an ancient dialect from the era of Greek colonies. Bruno the brother of Carmelo is fluent in ancient Greek!

Bova village is located 700 meters above the sea, same latitude as Athens. Here you can clearly see Etna Volcano, the Messina straight and all the surroundings. During the Greek times this area was not only the main source of wine (Calabria was called Enotria = the land of wine) but also a strategic location for trades. Behind the village the very high Aspromonte Mountain, in front the sea. All this influences the microclimate and reasonably since ancient times this was an area vocated to winemaking.

We finally met Carmelo in the square and went to their home by walk. There are only narrow streets where you can only walk either by walking or by donkey or horse. Bruno and Carmelo live in their family’s very old 4 stories house. In the basement there is still the old cellar and a 2500 year old Greek press for wine. Here the name of the wine Lano’ that means wine press in ancient Greek.

I always wondered how ancient romans or ancient Greek wine would taste like; maybe this was the closest answer to a very well made with today’s knowledge ancient wine.

Their cellar is a magic place and thanks to their childhood memories I felt like travelling back in time realizing how all the family was involved making wines. He showed us a small window in the cellar ceiling which was the place where donkeys dropped the grapes that went down strait to the press where all wines are mixed together for the fermentation.

As ancient practice Traclo’ still mixed all vines grapes that are planted together.

Today we have single variety wines but in reality, old vines have several grapes varieties and color already mixed in the field. This was a way to protect the harvest, thinking that diversifying the types would allow some varieties to resist more than other to specific problems allowing the farmers to bring home at list part of the harvest.

Traclo’ vine is just 1 hectar. All plants are Bush (albarello) all mixed together: Nerello Mascalese, Castiglione (Red) Inzolia, Guardavalle (White) all mixed together in the field. The place is beautiful, and you feel immersed in the nature. There is a very tiny house where old artifacts swipe away bad luck and evil spirits spread on the walls and in the ground. It remind me of the Korean 장승

What I like about them?

The old brothers have an Incredible passion.

They only make one wine (Lano’) from old single tiny vineyard. Each year is very different and despite is a wine impossible to find unless you directly visit the producers to me makes sense presenting it in Korea as makes sense my love to find unique wines and show something unique.

Aromas are different from other wines, this is a rustic well balance old fashioned natural wine, untamed, wild, for a unique experience.

This is what is my real mission presenting this type of wines