This week’s indigenous variety hails from Latina in Lazio, specifically from the town of Cori. It is usually used in blends and adds a good dose of color to the wines.  This red grape can be seen in the Cori Rosso DOC where it must be 50% of the blend. There is also a Cori Nero Buono that must have 85% of the grape to have that denomination. This is a very old area for viticulture and there are both historical documents and ruins to attest to its history.  It received it’s DOC in 1971.

Cori is about 30 Kilometers from the sea and is protected by mountains. It’s soils are volcanic and hilly. The vineyards are small and somewhat fragmented and most of the wine is consumed locally. The wines are full bodied with good tannins, some sapidity and freshness as well. As a grape, Nero Buono can develop mold easily. The wines can come from the municipality of Cori and part of that of Cisterna. A few producers make Cori including Cantina Cincinnato, Pietra Pinta, and Marco Carpineti.