red grape · regional staple
Gaglioppo
Calabria, Italy
Say it
gahl·yop·poh
The "gli" cluster is an Italian palatal lateral (like "lli" in "million"); render as a Y-glide in English; stress falls on the second syllable.
On the palate
raspberryred cherrystrawberrydried herbsleatherblack pepper
How you spot it blind: pale garnet despite firm tannins; iron-laced red fruit from sandy Ionian soils
The story
First written down · 1240, Calabria
DNA profiling (2008) confirmed Gaglioppo as a Sangiovese × Mantonico bianco cross; its first written record is a 1240 requisition by Holy Roman Emperor Frederick II for 100 barrels from Calabria.
Family tree: Sangiovese × Mantonico bianco
Where it lives
Cirò DOC/DOCG, Calabria · Bivongi DOC, Calabria · Melissa DOC, Calabria · Lamezia DOC, Calabria · Terre di Cosenza DOC, Calabria
Shows up as
still redroséCirò DOCCirò Rosso Classico Superiore DOCG