Calabria forms the toe of the Italian peninsula’s boot, from the Strait of Messina northeast to the Gulf of Taranto. Its capital is Catanzaro and its largest city is Reggio di Calabria. If Calabria is known at all in the wine world, it is probably for the Cirò denomination. The region has no DOCGs, 9 DOCs (see map on this page), and 10 IGPs. In 2022, Calabria produced just 270,000 hl (3 million cases) of wine, with its production slowly falling for at least a decade. Over three quarters of Calabria’s wine is red, with only around an eighth at the DOP level. There are 8,921 ha (22,000 acres) of vineyards as of 2022. The region’s primary grape variety is Gaglioppo (48%).
