Terre di Balbia is located in Montino, a small district of the medieval village of Altomonte, one of Calabria’s most historically significant wine areas.
During Roman times, Pliny the Elder (23–79 AD) referred to this territory as “Balbia”, celebrating the quality of its wines, known at the time as “Balbino”. This ancient reputation confirms the deep-rooted viticultural vocation of the area.
The village of Altomonte dates back to the 14th century and has been shaped over the centuries by Angevin rule and the noble Ruffo di Calabria family. Its rich cultural heritage includes medieval alleys, a feudal castle, Renaissance monastic complexes, a Gothic church from the 1300s, and important works by artists from Giotto’s circle such as Simone Martini and Bernardo Daddi.
Calabria, and Altomonte in particular, played a notable role in Italian wine history during the 19th century thanks to the work of Cavalier Francesco Giacobini, an entrepreneur who gained international recognition for exporting Italian wines throughout Europe. At the same time, he revived the ancient “Babiani” wines of Altomonte, praised by the rhetorician Athenaeus as “noble and austere, destined to improve with time”.
Today, Terre di Balbia carries forward this legacy by producing wines that reflect the authenticity of the territory, highlighting native Calabrian grape varieties and expressing the strength, character, and historical depth of this remarkable land.
