Cirò Classico, once the “official” wine of the Olympics, now acknowledged at the European level

It was once the “official” wine of the Olympics, traditionally offered to athletes returning victorious from their sporting feats, who were given divine honors. Cirò Classico is one of Italy’s excellent wines, Made in Calabria, which has now been acknowledged and will be protected at the European level. The European Union Commission has granted protection to “Cirò Classico” Controlled and Guaranteed Designation of Origin, and approved its PDO status in the EU register. According to Francesco Lollobrigida, Minister of Agriculture and Food Sovereignty, “Italy has confirmed its leadership in quality. Wine is a cornerstone of Made in Italy, and the Calabria Region over the past few years has demonstrated a renewed ability to promote its wines by focusing on quality”.
The “Cirò Classico PDO” designation was registered in the Official Journal of the European Union on July 25, 2025. According to updated data from the Qualivita Observatory, it is the 529th Italian PDO and PGI in the wine sector, and the 19th among Calabrian wine designations. This newly registered PDO brings Italy up to 529 PGI wines - 410 PDO and 119 PGI - in addition to 328 agri-food products, totaling 857 denominations, considering also 35 PGI spirit drinks. “The Geographical Indication system is the path to follow to guarantee proper recognition for the work of our farmers, products and territories”, Francesco Lollobrigida, Minister of Agriculture, Food Sovereignty and Forestry, stated. “Italy has again confirmed its leadership in quality. Including Cirò Classico as one of the excellent protected wines at the European level is yet another recognition of the strength and value of our production system. Wine is a pillar of Made in Italy and the Calabria Region has, over the past few years demonstrated its skill in promoting itself by focusing on quality. Today, Italy boasts over 890 PDO, PGI, TSG and GI products, a heritage that is a source of pride as well as a responsibility, to which the Meloni Government has been strongly committed from the very beginning”. The “Cirò Classico” Controlled and Guaranteed Designation of Origin wines, which according to regulations must contain a minimum of 90% Gaglioppo, and Magliocco, Greco Nero, alone or combined, up to a maximum of 10%, are produced throughout the territory in the Municipalities of Cirò and Cirò Marina. The district is in the altimetric zone of the coastal hill, extending from sea level to a maximum altitude of 462 meters, and it is the oldest place in the entire area where vines have been cultivated.
“Krimisa” (or Cremissa), the ancestor of today's Cirò, was the “official wine” of the Greek Olympics. According to some historians, Milo of Crotone, winner of the wrestling events in six Olympic Games, would seem to have been a great admirer of this nectar, traditionally offered to athletes returning victorious from their sporting endeavors, who were paid divine honors. The tradition was brought back into fashion in more modern times - in 1968, at the Mexico City Olympics, when all participating athletes had the opportunity to taste Cirò as the official wine of the event.