Eating in Cosenza, a weekend in Calabria with wine and 'nduja-filled pasta dishes

We'd like to share this country with its residents, helping them discover lesser-known Italian destinations (perhaps to choose as a destination for your next food and wine weekend getaway) and their products. To do so, we've started with a winery and a restaurant, which will offer a dish paired with one of the winery's wines.

Let's start in Calabria, more precisely, in the province of Cosenza with the municipalities of Malvito and San Marco Argentano.

Tenute Pacelli: A Calabrian Story

With a century-long history of winemaking behind it, Calabria's wine region is increasingly being talked about. Thanks to the Ciro' Revolution—a communications movement that brought Gaglioppo, the region's native grape, to the forefront—Calabrian wine is regaining its well-deserved popularity. But there's still much to discover in Calabria, such as Magliocco, a native grape that has begun to establish itself in the last ten years. Tenute Pacelli has dedicated special attention to this grape variety, successfully interpreting it in its own way, enhancing its elegance.

Tenute Pacelli is a winery that currently produces nine wines, all the finest expressions of the terroir and the family's history. Alongside the wines, they offer a warm welcome and a professional service. Upon reservation, you can enjoy a meal featuring local products in their home restaurant. The winery is located 350 meters above sea level, immersed in unspoiled nature and far from major urban centers.

We are nestled in the hills of northern Calabria, beneath the Pollino massif, in the municipality of Malvito, more precisely in the Contrada Rose. It is here that the Hunting Lodge (belonging to the La Costa Barons) stood since the 1700s. Today, it houses the winery and serves as a hospitality facility, officially renamed Tenute Pacelli in 2001. Among the properties of the La Costa Barons is the ancient Norman castle, later donated to the municipality of Malvito, which can still be admired today.

Calabria in a Bottle: Tenute Pacelli Wines

From the very beginning, in the first decade of the 2000s—when Francesco abandoned his legal career to embark on this winemaking adventure alongside his wife Clara and daughters Carla and Laura—Tenute Pacelli has practiced organic farming, preserving the health of the land. It was Francesco's uncle, Baron Gaetano La Costa (from whom he inherited the estate, which he later converted into a farm), who planted the first vines in the 1970s.

A lover of Italian wines like Chianti and Barbera, as well as French reds from Bordeaux, Uncle "Nunù" brought varieties such as Sangiovese, Canaiolo, Malvasia, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Merlot to Contrada Rose. From the latter two, renowned for being the basis of the famous Bordeaux red wines, comes "Zio Nunù," the wine dedicated to Uncle Gaetano. These two international varieties have adapted over time to the Calabrian terroir, giving rise to what the winery calls the "Bordo-Calabrese" blend.

For this reason, in addition to the aromatic notes typical of the Bordeaux region, the nose perceives aromas of an indigenous nature (specifically Calabrian), such as licorice.

Another intriguing wine produced by Tenute Pacelli is undoubtedly Zoe, named after the youngest member of the family: Carla's daughter. Zoe is a Brut sparkling wine made using the traditional method (the same method used in France to produce Champagne) from Riesling grapes.

Planting Riesling grapes—a variety typically grown in northern Italy—was Francesco's idea, as he decided to dedicate himself to this sparkling wine with the aim of creating something distinctive, personal, and innovative, like a Riesling-based Metodo Classico produced in Calabria, undoubtedly a hallmark of the company.

Zoe, the first vintage of which was released in 2014, clearly contrasts with the typical image of Calabrian wine, characterized by high alcohol content and a certain intensity, which necessitate important food pairings.

Tenute Pacelli. Contrada Rose, Snc, Malvito (CS). Tel. 338 4783678. Facebook. Instagram.

Le Baccanti: artisanal pasta and local cuisine with a wine bar

Led by Niki Brusco, "Le Baccanti" in San Marco Argentano has been serving traditional local cuisine for 13 years. The town of San Marco Argentano is another gem in the province of Cosenza: nestled between the Ionian and Tyrrhenian Seas, 30 minutes from Sila National Park and 40 minutes from Pollino National Park, it is a town of Norman origin. Dominated by a Norman tower (one of the best preserved in Europe), this small town is also known for its Norman crypts.

San Marco Argentano, bordering the Sipari plain, is a region devoted to agriculture and olive growing, adorned with the famous fruit and orange groves that make the landscape enchanting. It is here, in the most hilly part, that the ancient grains from which Niki extracts the flour for the pasta produced in his artisanal pasta factory, Ojnì, are still grown. The pasta is slow-dried and bronze-drawn. Ojnì pasta, both fresh and dried, is served at Le Baccanti, and this uniqueness makes Niki's pasta dishes interesting options to try.

Le Baccanti's menu is seasonal and the produce is grown by Niki, who personally oversees the entire production chain of her dishes, from the cultivation of ancient grains and vegetables to the artisanal production of pasta.

Tèmeso is the Tenute Pacelli wine chosen for the food and wine pairing of this Calabrian stop. This blend of native Calabrian varietals—specifically, 70% Calabrese (a grape variety also known as Nero d'Avola) and 30% Magliocco—is aged for 10 months in large, second-use French oak barrels (previously used to age French wine, which has thus imparted unique characteristics to the wood in the barrels, which will subsequently influence the Calabrian wine) and for over a year in bottle.

The vintage Carla and Laura are serving here is a 2019, perfect for complementing the intense flavors of Niki's pairing: Strascinati with 'nduja, black pig, Tropea red onion, and DOP cherry tomatoes. All the ingredients used in the dish are locally grown, and the cherry tomatoes, out of season—since this is a year-round dish—are grown locally using hydroponic techniques, a highly sustainable technique that significantly reduces the amount of water needed.

The Bacchae. Via della Repubblica 1, San Marco Argentano, Cosenza. Tel. 09 841906595. Facebook. Instagram.