Azienda Agricola Maradei - Gina Bavasso
The Maradei company extends between the municipalities of Saracena, Firmo and Lungro, between the Pollino National Park and the upper Sybaris. The territory, with its culture and the atmosphere of its uncontaminated nature, is best expressed in the cultivation of olives and vines. The scenery is of high hills that enjoy exclusive climatic conditions: here comes the gentle breeze from the Ionian coast that meets the cold winds coming from the Pollino massif. Here the wine and olive growing tradition is strong and rooted, often blending the rituals of Upper Calabria with those of the historic Arbereshe communities.
Our productions consist of an excellent extra virgin olive oil, a blend of historic cultivars and in the old family cellars, located in the heart of the Arab-Byzantine historic center of Saracena, we produce fine natural wines from native vines only: Guarnaccia Bianca, Malvasia Bianca, Moscatello of Saracena, black malvasia and sweet magliocco. Our cornerstones are: organic production since the 90s and currently the conversion to biodynamic, production of highly territorial wines, very limited interventions in the cellar and in the vineyard using only sulfur and copper in minimal quantities, the rest is all work of arms ( yes, even a little tractor!), following the timing of the wine through a particular attention to maturation with the use of steel, terracotta and barriques and long refinements in the bottle before marketing.
The vineyard area is about 4 hectares which will increase to about 6 considering the replanting of another two hectares in 2023.
The whole harvest is done manually. It starts at the end of August or at the latest in the first ten days of September with the magliocco and the black malvasia for the rosé and the garnish and the white malvasia for a first white of the three products and then continues until October when it is time to vinify the reds and boil the must for the production of muscat.