Circeo
CIRCEO (DOC)
According to legend, on this promontory, situated in the south of Lazio, two hours by car from Rome, once lived the sorceress Circe (Circe) described in The Odyssey of Homer. Circeo's headland lies halfway between Anzio and Gaeta, guarding the western border of the Bay of Terracina. It rises between the sea and the plain, which has always been overgrown with grapevines, especially in ancient times, when this place was the main point of Rome's wine supply. After the fall of the Roman Empire, the area north of the headland turned into a swamp, thus preventing the production of wine.
Meliorization of the entire area, which took place during the times of fascism allowed the restoration of grapevine in Circeo. Many settlers from Romagna were settled in the fortified areas at that time, Veneto and Friuli, who imported their viticulture and wine-making traditions and new varieties, Merlot and Sangiovese, which are currently dominant there.
This phenomenon has led to great changes in the local community and to the development of local wine production traditions., completely different from customs, existing in other parts of Lazio.