The Varchi wines are crafted from the vineyards of the Campoverde Group, a consortium of about four hundred Calabrian fruit producers who, through the cooperative formula, have consolidated their presence on national and international markets in the fresh and processed fruit sector.

Campoverde is headquartered in the Piana di Sibari in the North-Eastern area of ​​Calabria, between the slopes of the Pollino massif and the Ionian coast. The Piana di Sibari is part of the Quality Agri-food District, commited to the protection and enhancement of the products that come from this fortunate strip of land both from a climatic and orographic point of view.

The Varchi wines are DOC Cirò. Cirò is a DOC of the Calabria wine region in deepest southern Italy best known for red wines based on the Gaglioppo grape variety. Considered one of the oldest named wines in the world, with a winemaking history stretching back thousands of years, this is very much Calabria's flagship wine.

A limited quantity of Cirò Bianco and Rosato are produced. The white must feature at least 80 percent Greco Bianco. Any other white varieties permitted in Calabria making up the balance. The Rosato has the same blend rules as the Rosso.

Red wine makes up the vast majority of production. A Cirò Rosso must feature a minimum of 80 percent Gaglioppo, with other authorized red grapes providing the balance. Of this, only 10 percent may be Barbera, Sangiovese, the Cabernets Franc and Sauvignon, and/or Merlot.

Previously small amounts of white varieties such as Greco Bianco and Trebbiano Toscano were allowed. These would add aromatic lift and suppleness in the way that Viognier can do for Syrah based Côte Rôtie reds.

The red wines are almost always tannic and full bodied with good structure and an alcohol content of up to 14 percent. They are generally intended for consumption within five years after vintage. However it can take up to 10 years to soften out the tannic structure in the more robust examples.

Cirò wine is made in the eastern foothills of the La Sila plateau and out to the Ionian coast. The zone covers the Cirò, Cirò Marina, Crucoli and Melissa communes. Wines made exclusively from the first two of these (the heartland of the DOC) can add the Classico designation to their labels. Melissa also produces wine under its own DOC title.

The highest quality grapes come from vineyards employing the alberello basso vine-training method. Here, grapes are harvested by hand due to their bushy shape. For economic reasons many modern vineyards have abandoned this traditional process, turning instead to the espalier trellised vine-training system, which are easier to harvest.

The close proximity of the Mediterranean is important to the terroir here, as the mass of water helps to moderate the intense heat of the south Italian summer. The cooling and heating of the land over the course of a summer day causes morning and afternoon breezes. This lowers the risk of fungal vine diseases and further improve the climate's suitability for quality viticulture.

Such conditions are not limited to this part of Calabria, however. This means that there is potential for Cirò's neighbors to enjoy similar success in the future.

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