A taste of Moscato di Saracena wine

Calabria is a land of excellent wines, the result of a centuries-old relationship between man and the land. Some in particular, such as Moscato di Saracena, a Slow Food Presidium, represent a concentration of authentic local identity.

What makes Moscato di Saracena unique? Let's find out together on a sensory journey to Saracena, a village in the Pollino area in the province of Cosenza where one of Calabria's most popular dessert wines is produced.

There is nothing more beautiful than discovering the identity of a territory through its flavours and fragrances. This happens in Saracena (Calabria), a village on the slopes of the Orsomarso Mountains, in the heart of the Pollino, where the soil combined with the special microclimate and the skilful hand of man has given birth to one of the best-loved Calabrian Muscat wines.

Have you ever tasted Moscato di Saracena? Let's find out directly from the producers.

The winegrowers of Saracena are proud of their Muscat and offer it to visitors, proudly recounting the ancient process that accompanies its production, so original that it has earned the Slow Food Presidium.

This is a delicious raisin wine produced only in this village, through a process of separate vinification of the indigenous Moscato grape (Moscato di Saracena) from the other grapes. The must, obtained by the addition of Malvasia and Guarnaccia, is concentrated to increase its sugar content, while the unmistakable aroma and taste of Moscato di Saracena can be attributed to the Moscatello grapes, harvested and dried a few weeks before the harvest. The berries are then selected, crushed by hand and added to the must.

The result? The authentic Moscato di Saracena wine, a passito liquoroso obtained after slow fermentation, amber yellow in colour with golden hues, an intense aroma and a flavour that sends one into raptures with hints of honey, dried figs and exotic fruit.

The perfect pairing? With desserts at the end of a meal, but admirers of Moscato di Saracena also choose it as a "meditation wine", perhaps accompanied by a good cigar.

Saracena is one of the pearls of the Pollino National Park, a perfect starting point for nature lovers wishing to set off on a trek to discover unspoilt landscapes.

Excursions in the immediate vicinity of the town of Saracena lead to the San Michele Arcangelo Cave (also known as the Sant'Angelo Cave), a large karstic cavity west of the Garga River inhabited from the Neolithic to the Bronze Age; a walk to Mount Caramolo, Timpone Scifariello and the inevitable trip to Lake Tavolara.

The historical centre of Saracena, just like the name of the town, is an explicit reference to the Arab-Turkish elements that characterise its town planning and its most ancient history.

Conquered around the year 900 by the Saracens, the colony became a small Turkish stronghold until the army of Constantinople drove away the few survivors, at whose head, according to legend, was a naked woman wrapped in a sheet. The episode is depicted today on the frontispiece of the Chapel of St. Anthony of Padua and on a 16th-century polyptych in the sacristy of the Church of St. Mary of Gamio.

In addition to the numerous churches and chapels that narrate the extraordinary intertwining of East and West, Saracena also boasts some not-to-be-missed museums, such as the "Andrea Alfano" Municipal Art Gallery, which, inside the historic Mastromarchi Palace, exhibits a collection of 250 Italian and international 20th-century works that include paintings, sculptures and drawings.

Another important museum in Saracena is the Museum of Sacred Art, inside the aforementioned Church of Gamio, a collection spanning the 16th-19th centuries and comprising paintings, silver and gilded copper furnishings, reliquaries, liturgical vestments and important archive documents.