'A Vita Winery Vino Bianco Leuko Orange Wine 2023

Run by husband and wife team Francesco and Laura de Franco, ‘A Vita is located on the arch of Italy’s boot tip in Calabria, nestled between the Ionian Sea and the Sila mountains. Their production is very small, a total of 2,000 cases a year. The vineyards are certified organic, and no fertilizer is used. Instead they plant cover crops, and are careful to not work the soil so as to favor natural biodiversity. In the cellar, there is zero technological input: the wines are fermented spontaneously without temperature control, decanted naturally, and are never rushed.

This is their white (or, more accurately, 'orange') wine, a 70/30 blend of Greco Bianco and Gaglioppo from the vineyard Frassà, at only 10m above sea level. Vinified off the skins, the co-fermentation occurs spontaneously in stainless steel and aging lasts 8 months in tank on the lees. The wine is lightly filtered and lightly sulfured before bottling. Only 3000 bottles produced. This is super fresh and persistent, and it captures the essence of Calabria.