Ciavola Nera is a small cooperative created to celebrate its region through environmentally sustainable development, preserving traditions while remaining open to innovation. Creating jobs and building local networks, with respect for the environment and the health of workers and consumers, are central to its daily work. Whether a bottle of wine or a jar of figs, each product is intended to reflect that commitment.
Its story is a return to roots. After almost twenty years in Liguria, Fabio Lento returned home to Calabria and began making wine, learning the basics from his father, an oenologist. In 2015 he established the Ciavola Nera brand as a spin-off from Azienda Agricola Luigi Mazzei in San Marco Argentano, where the cooperative continues to make its wines independently.
The cooperative itself was established in April 2018. Alongside Fabio, its founding members include brothers Alfredo and Enrico Duini, growers of Cosenza’s prized white Dottato figs. The three have been close friends since childhood.
From the outset they embraced synergistic agriculture, treating each field as a complex ecosystem and minimising mechanised intervention. They belong to the broad world of natural wine, while recognising that the term brings together a diverse range of approaches.
Only native Calabrian grapes are used: Mantonico, Malvasia, Guarnaccino and Gaglioppo. Half a hectare of bush-trained Magliocco Dolce, a variety closely associated with northern Calabria, was planted on 30 April 2021 with the intention of adding it to the range.
There are no chemical fertilisers in the vineyards; green manure is widely used, and sulphur or copper treatments are applied only when needed. In the cellar, indigenous yeasts drive fermentation without temperature control. No nutrients are added, there is no filtration or stabilisation, and sulphite use is very limited. Production is small, sometimes extremely small, aimed at enthusiasts of natural wines and wines that express their origins.
The surrounding countryside has no polluting activities and is rich in wildlife and spontaneous vegetation.
Ciavola Nera shares the vision of Evoluzione Naturale. Come and discover their stories and wines.
Contact details
CIAVOLA NERA
Via Salvo D'Acquisto snc
87018 San Marco Argentano (CS)
Tel.: +39 328 37 72 287
Email: ciavolanera@gmail.com
Web: www.ciavolanera.com
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