Ciavola Nera Soc. Coop.

A brief history of the company: Ciavola Nera Soc. Coop. is a small cooperative in San Marco Argentano (CS) born with the intention of enhancing the Territory and its peculiarities, through an eco-sustainable development that preserves, on the one hand, traditions and on the other, is always attentive to innovations. Creating job opportunities and networking, respecting the environment, the health of consumers and workers, are essential elements in our daily work. We consider each of our products, whether it’s a bottle of wine and/or a jar of figs, the virtuous result of a virtuous work!

The story of Ciavola Nera is a story of “back to the origins”. After almost twenty years spent in Liguria, Fabio Lento decides to return home to Calabria and start producing wine. Having acquired the basics from his father, an oenologist, in 2015, he created a brand, “Ciavola Nera”, which was born as a spin-off of the Luigi Mazzei farm in San Marco Argentano, a company in which, even today, the cooperative continues to make wine in total autonomy.

After three years, in April 2018, the “Ciavola Nera Società Cooperativa” was established, which sees, among the founding members, in addition to Fabio Lento, also the brothers Alfredo and Enrico Duini, dedicated to the cultivation of the prized “white dottato fig of Cosenza”. The meeting is not accidental, the three are in fact united by a deep and ancient friendship.

Historical and geographical notes on the territory (brief information): San Marco Argentano is an Italian town of 7424 inhabitants in the province of Cosenza in Calabria. Urban center of ancient history, located along the Valle del Crati in a hilly area, with a mild and temperate climate, it is among the most important artistic and cultural centers in the province of Cosenza. The municipal territory, which develops along an extensive plain crossed by the Follone river, on the side of the Magna mountain and mainly on hilly areas, extends for about 78 km² and includes, in addition to the urban centre, four major districts: Iotta, Ghiandaro, Scalo and Cerreto and other minor ones, inhabited overall by about two thirds of the total population.

It is crossed by an extensive road network, with a fast-flowing road axis that connects it to the Ionian and Tyrrhenian Seas, with state and provincial roads that allow for quick access to nearby municipalities, the two motorway junctions and the provincial capital.

The ancient custom of living in rural areas, even in isolated areas, characterizes the San Marquis landscape due to the presence of numerous scattered houses and small or medium-sized cultivated plots: these settlements, even if they have the disadvantage of land division, have prevented the processes of drying up of the soils and have allowed the survival of many families without other incomes. The climate of San Marco Argentano is typical of the Mediterranean hilly inland areas. It has hot, muggy summers and cold, wet winters. Environmental conditions of the place and of the production area (any environmental risks): Rural area without environmental risks (there are no polluting activities in the area), the environment is decidedly clean, and it is rich in wild fauna and spontaneous flora.

My principles and ideals as a producer: We have decided to adopt agriculture that is as sustainable as possible and, as far as our wines are concerned, we can define ourselves as producers of natural wines. The grapes with which we produce them come exclusively from native Calabrian vines. In the vineyard, we do not use chemical fertilizers, but we are used to the practice of green manure; while, for the treatments, we use, only if needed, sulfur and copper. As far as the cellar operations are concerned, the fermentations take place on indigenous yeasts and at uncontrolled temperatures; we do not use any oenological product, we do not use filtrations and/or stabilizations and the use of sulphites is very limited.

My opinion on the use of GMOs: a topic that deserves a careful and scientifically correct discussion… however: we do not use them