Region: Lazio

Zone:

Circeo DOC

Circeo DOC is situated at a 2-hour drive southeast of Rome and it extends slightly east of the city of Latina to the beaches of Terracina. The zone includes vineyards in the municipalities of Latina, Sabaudia, San Felice Circei and Terracina in Latina.

According to the legend, there was a sorceress, Circe, from Homer’s epic “The Oddyseey”, who used to knock about the promontory of Circeo, that guards the western border of Gulf of Terracina, halfway between Anzio and Gaeta.

Since ancient times, Circeo has been known for its wines and in antiquity, it was one of the most important suppliers to Rome’s nobility and inns. After the collapse of the Roman Empire, the area fell into disrepair and north of the mountain the vineyards slowly turned into damp marshland, rendering the wine production impossible.

Under fascism, the entire area was restored and eventually one could again consider viticulture. During this period, foreign immigrants, as well as people from northern Romagna, Veneto and Friuli, brought with them not only their homeland winemaking traditions, but also new grape varieties, including Merlot and Sangiovese, which are still dominant in this area.

These upheavals determined not only major social changes for the local community, but also major changes to the local tradition for wine production, which, to an extent, had not been seen in the Lazio region.  

Read more about the wines from Circeo DOC by clicking i the top menu in the right side.