It’s been a long time since I have done my Italian Indigenous Varieties series. I started this back in 2009 but have not been consistent. But, I am back and here we go with varieties that start with the letter “O.” The first one is from Campania and Lazio, regions in Central and Southern Italy that I have visited a number of times for professional and personal trips. I have also had the pleasure of representing one of the Consortium of the Avellino province in Campania, Irpinia, at masterclasses and tastings. This to say I am familiar with and love albeit I do not have ancesters that emigrated from either of these regions, as so many do in the USA.

Despite all of the time I have spent in Campania and Lazio, I do not think I have ever had a wine made from Olivella Nera. Judging from its name one can deduce that it is a red grape and from the word Olivella, it’s clear that the shape of the grape reminds one of an olive.

In the past, according to wine expert, Ian D’Agata, the grape was confused with another variety known as Sciascinoso. According to D’Agata, there are a number of grapes that have been called Olivella Nera but they are not all the same ones. He does mention one well-known producer to try, Casale della Ioria from Lazio who makes a monovarietal Olivella Nera. I only found the one in one store in Florida. I have tried many wines from this producer so I am excited to know that they produce this wine.

Apparently the wine is made using only stainless steel and is not particularly tannic or alcohol, but has lots of red fruit and some herbal aromas and flavors, and could be a wine that is more similar to a Frappato than to a Cabernet Sauvignon.

Casale della Ioria is located in the province of Frosinone, an area between Rome and Naples. The area specifically is known as the Ciociaria. Perhaps this word is not too unfamiliar as it is the name of a very famous movie from the 1960s for which Sophie Loren won an Oscar, La Ciociara. There are many beautiful and historic cities to visit here including Anagni formerly a papal city, Alatri, Ferentino, Piglio, Serrone and Veroli.

The winery is  located in Arcuto and is very well known for both its Cesanese del Piglio and its Passerina del Frusinate IGT and also makes this amazing Olivella Nera. The young team running the winery I most recently met four years ago at Slow Wine in Boston before the world shut down for the COVID-19 pandemic in March 2020.