VinoRoma Meets Cantine Viola

Sometime last year, I received a call out of the blue from a soft-spoken older gentleman with an unmistakeable Calabrese accent. He introduced himself as Luigi Viola, proprietor of a small winery north of Cosenza. His small village, he calmly explained to me, was custodian to an ancient winemaking method that existed nowhere else in the world. It turns out that this humble retired primary school teacher had devoted the next stage of his life to the production and rehabilitation of this endangered product, Moscato di Saracena.

In the mid-1980s, this teacher-turn-winemaker established Cantine Viola and began producing the traditional wines of northern Calabria, including this rare sweet wine. Through his tireless work, including countless phone calls and meetings, signor Viola has single-handedly vaulted this obscure, almost extinct wine to a true cultural heritage, even securing a prized presidium from the Slow Food Foundation for Biodiversity. And he has passed down this passion to the next generation.

On Sunday, December 18 we are proud to host sons Claudio and Alessandro Viola for an extra special event. They are bringing with them their entire line-up of wines, from their fresh and aromatic white to their bold and balanced reds and, finally, the show-stopping “meditation wine”, the Moscato di Saracena. They will explain in depth just how complex and unique this winemaking method is and the reasons why it was almost lost to history. And they’re bringing along special guests! They will be joined by not one, but two food producers whose products pair beautifully against their range of wines.

I know we say this a lot, but this event really is a can’t-miss. The tasting starts at 18:30 and the cost is €40 for current members (plus €5 for new members). Come share this special experience with us on the last Sunday before the holidays. We really hope to see you there.