TERRE DI BALBIA

Sobre la bodega y los vinos

The farm is located in Montino, a district of the medieval gem of Altomonte. 

During the time of ancient Rome, Pliny the Elder  (23-79 AD) nicknamed the center as Balbia, because of its epic wine called “Balbino”. Tracing its origin to the 14th century, the village of Altomonte has gone through the influence of the Angevin empire as well the one of the noble Ruffo di Calabria family. An ensemble of Medieval alleys, a feudal castle, Renaissance monastic complexes, a Gothic church from the 1300s, and outstanding works by Simone Martini, Bernardo Daddi, and other painters from Giotto’s circle, makes this remote village an authentic treasure. The village of Altomonte – as Calabria, in general- has made a name in wine-making history. In fact, the second half of the 19th century is marked by the prominent activity of local entrepreneur Cavalier Francesco Giacobini: a winner of many medals and accolades for the wine exportation of the most important Italian wines all over world.Simultaneously, Giacobini revived the ancient “Babiani” wines from Altomonte, which rhetorician Atheneus had called “generosum et admodum austerum, et semper se ipso melius nascituro” (latin for “noble and very austere, it will always be better by himself”.)

Thirteen years after, in 2014, engineer Giuseppe Chiappetta together with his brother Nicola and sons Marco and Luca – a family born and raised in the Calabria’s city of Cosenza- took over the company and re-wrote its future. Always a wine lover, Mr. Chiappetta transformed into reality his dream to produce quality wines from native Calabrian vines expressed to their full potential. Pivotal was the encounter with Gianfranco Fino, a skilled winemaker from Salento, who has believed in the project and guided the modernization of the vineyards ever since, overseeing the construction of the winery itself, suggesting cultivation techniques, dictating and controlling the whole wine making processes. 

Terre di Balbia believes in the uniqueness of this terroir and produces 3 crus in purity, from organic farming, choosing vinifications and maturations that respect the wine and its character.

FERVORE CRU FROM A SINGLE VINEYARD CALABRIA Protected Geographical Indication MAGLIOCCO DOLCE. FERVORE a red wine that evokes an intense and emotional state of mind, like the name it bears, like the passion of those who have zealously tended it in the vineyard and cared for it in the cellar until its maturity. The person who observes, tastes and grasps the nuance of this wine, will perceive the incredible variety of scents and fragrances according to the emotional states of that moment, and will hold this libation in a personal memory that will give new emotions the next time.

LIGREZZA CRU FROM A SINGLE VINEYARD CALABRIA Protected Geographical Indication GAGLIOPPO. LIGREZZA, a rosé wine that means “joy” like the freshness and joyful fragrance it expresses; crackling like the broom bonfires which, as a sign of celebration, are burned in our villages on December 8 in honor of the Madonna. The delicacy of its color and its fresh gustatory and olfactory characteristics are variously perceived in the flavors and aromas of the territory, appreciating its freshness even more in the hot hours, when one feels the need to restore the body.

BLANDUS CRU FROM SINGLE VINEYARD CALABRIA Protected Geographical Indication MERLOT. BLANDUS, a red wine whose aromas, scents and flavors make it as inviting and flattering as the prestigious grape variety of Merlot – that this terroir enhances and magnifies.. The curiosity to taste and savor in all its olfactory and aromatic layers, recalls the wonder of the vine in our land, compensating the challenge of crafting it in purity in Calabria.