| So you have decided to go to Calabria, the tip of the | | | | agricultural accent is on citrus and olive groves. The |
| Italian boot. There's lots to see; this is a traditional | | | | best-known wine is Cirò, produced near the |
| area of Italy with fishing villages such as Diamante on | | | | city of that name on the coast of the Ionian Sea. |
| the western Tyrrhenian coast. But it's a fishing village | | | | This wine may be red, white, or rosé; the red |
| with a difference; Diamante is quite the artist colony. | | | | and rosé come from Calabria's signature |
| If you are there in late summer you'll see clotheslines | | | | Gaglioppo grape. Other popular red varieties include |
| with red-hot chili peppers called peperoncini that are | | | | the local Magliocco, Aglianico the pride of the |
| hung out to dry. In early September the village hosts | | | | neighboring region Basilicata, and the international |
| a Festival de Peperoncini, called "The South's Carnival" | | | | varieties Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot. White |
| that attracts one hundred thousand visitors. The | | | | varieties include the local Greco, and the almost |
| calendar of festivals is too long to reproduce here. | | | | ubiquitous Trebbiano (Toscano), Malvasia (Bianca), and |
| You can ski in the Sila, a vast forested kilometer high | | | | Chardonnay. |
| plateau in the Calabrian interior. Reggio di Calabria is | | | | Companies selling wine tours of Calabria include |
| home to Museo Nazionale della Magna Grecia (The | | | | Delicious Italy, Calabria International Tours, and Wine |
| National Museum of Greater Greece), a major | | | | Tour Italia. Calabria wineries that accept visits include |
| archeological museum. The old city has Greek walls | | | | Lento in Lamezia Terme, Statti also in Lamezia |
| and Roman baths. And the Falcomatà | | | | Terme, Azienda Vinicola Francesco in Ciro Marina, and |
| promenade by the sea has been called the most | | | | Vintripodi Cantine in Archi di Reggio Calabria. A few |
| beautiful kilometer in Italy. Their best gelateria, Tonino | | | | words of warning are in order. Make sure that you |
| in the Corso, makes a red onion ice cream (as well as | | | | check ahead of time for opening hours and whether |
| others based on squid ink and nduja, the local spicy | | | | English is spoken. Some places may charge admission; |
| salami). Somehow I think I'll pass. | | | | others may expect you to buy some of their |
| Calabria wine is mostly potential; for the present the | | | | products. |