The village of Messenicolas lies nested in this warm embrace. A small village with a long history, endowed with an unexpected legacy: a fascinating tale. This story does not begin “once upon a time”, but with an arrival. That of Monsieur Nicolas (Messie Nikola), a Frankish nobleman who ended up in the area in 1455 after his battalion disbanded. Charmed by the village and its surroundings, he settled in to start a new life.
Monsieur Nicolas carried with him the French wine-making culture and his love for grape-growing. This led him to systematically develop viticulture in the region and particularly the “Black Messenicola” varietal, a unique type that grew in the area since antiquity. The locals gave his name, which they pronounced to sound like “Messenicolas”, to the village and to the grape variety, as a modicum of appreciation for his contribution to the grape-producing and wine-making heritage of the area.
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