The Italian Radio Hour

Places of Origin: Wines of Southern Italy: Campania, Calabria, Basilicata and Puglia

What do Campania, Calabria, Basilicata, and Puglia have in common?Volcanoes. Ancient vines. Greek history. Rugged landscapes. And some of the most extraordinary wines in Italy — wines that, for far too long, have remained overlooked outside their own territories.While much of the wine world continues to focus on Tuscany and Piedmont, Southern Italy has quietly preserved something deeply authentic: indigenous grapes, ancient farming traditions, dramatic volcanic terroir, and a profound connection between wine, culture, and identity.Our guest today has dedicated more than twenty years to documenting that world.Maria Christina Liotta is the author of the newly published Places of Origin: Wines of Southern Italy — Campania, Calabria, Basilicata and Puglia, an extraordinary journey through the vineyards, villages, volcanic slopes, and hidden wine territories of Italy’s South.Through years of travel, hundreds of producer interviews, and visits to all 65 protected wine appellations of Southern Italy, Maria has created one of the most comprehensive explorations ever written on the wines and cultures of the Italian South. Today we’ll explore not only wine, but also the deeper meaning of place, heritage, resilience, and what Southern Italy can still teach us about authenticity in a rapidly globalizing world.#MariaChristinaLiotta#PlacesOfOrigin#WinesOfSouthernItaly#ItalianWine#SouthernItaly#CampaniaWine#CalabriaWine#BasilicataWine#PugliaWine#ItalianCulture#WineStories#ItalianHeritage#Terroir#IndigenousGrapes#VolcanicWine#WineTravel#TheItalianRadioHour#MadeInItaly#ItalianWineCulture#DiscoverSouthernItaly

Bridging Italy and America: A Conversation with Consul General Nico Frandi

This week on The Italian Radio Hour - It is my great pleasure to welcome the Consul General of Italy in Philadelphia, Nico Frandi.Since beginning his mandate in the fall of 2025, Consul General Frandi has focused on strengthening the ties between Italy and the Italian-American communities throughout the region, promoting Italian culture and language, supporting business and academic collaborations, and highlighting the enduring friendship between Italy and the United States.With a diplomatic career that has taken him from multilateral economic negotiations to public diplomacy here in the United States, he brings a global perspective — but also a deep appreciation for local communities and cultural connections.🎙️ Subscribe for more conversations celebrating Italian culture, heritage, food, language, travel, and community.#TheItalianRadioHour #NicoFrandi #ItalianAmerican #italianculture #ItalianAmerican #ItalianHeritage #ItalyUSA #ItalianLanguage #MadeInItaly #RootsTourism #Diplomacy #ItalianIdentity #Philadelphia #Pittsburgh #ItalianCommunity #culturaldiplomacy

The Hidden Mysteries of Calabria: Templars, Megaliths & Lost Civilizations

This week on The Italian Radio Hour - Today we’re traveling to Calabria—not only the Calabria of beautiful landscapes and family roots, but a hidden Calabria.A Calabria of caves, megaliths, forgotten civilizations, sacred symbols, ancient astronomy, and mysteries carved into stone.My guest today is Giuseppe Oliva, president of the cultural association Mistery Hunters, a group dedicated to researching and documenting the hidden historical and symbolic heritage of Calabria and beyond.Through documentaries, field research, photography, and storytelling, they explore places that seem suspended between archaeology, memory, myth, and mystery.To learn more about the Association and/or to donate, visit: https://misteryhunters.it/#Calabria #Italy #ItalianHeritage #ItalianAmerican #MisteryHunters #GiuseppeOliva #Templars #KnightsTemplar #AncientMysteries #LostCivilizations #Megaliths #AncientHistory #Archaeology #HiddenItaly #SouthernItaly #Castrovillari #Zungri #SacredGeometry #ItalianCulture #CalabrianRoots #HistoryMystery #AncientCivilizations #TravelItaly #DiscoverCalabria #ItalianPodcast #TheItalianRadioHour #CulturalHeritage #Mystery #AlternativeHistory #italytravel

(Re)Covering America, Two Italians, One Epic Roadtrip, From New York to the Pacific

This week on The Italian Radio Hour - We are going on a journey across America—but not the America you think you know.Our guests are two Italian journalists who have lived in New York for over 25 years, writing for Corriere della Sera and La Stampa. But instead of staying in the familiar world of big cities, they decided to do something radical: they left it.Maria Teresa Cometto and Glauco Maggi took a 105-day journey—over 30,000 kilometers—through what many call ‘flyover country,’ the America that is often ignored, misunderstood, or simplified. Their book, “Qui non è Nuova York”, now in English as (Re)Covering America, is not just a travel diary—it’s a sociological, political, and deeply human portrait of a country that may be far more complex—and far more united—than we are led to believe.But today, we’re not here for the usual questions.We’re here to go beyond the postcard—and maybe challenge a few assumptions along the way.”Order you copy here: https://asterismbooks.com/product/recovering-america-two-italians-one-epic-roadtrip-from-new-york-to-the-pacific-105-days-breaking-stereotypes-maria-teresa-cometto-glauco-maggi?fbclid=IwY2xjawRgrl1leHRuA2FlbQIxMABicmlkETFlc0VsS1MzcVAyTlV6dGhFc3J0YwZhcHBfaWQQMjIyMDM5MTc4ODIwMDg5MgABHkzXpuORg84xENyQ7XAgFKSlgRbtouT6nSmZYmy-OQ_OzMtpi5v8Ma4w2UjD_aem_Hu62yjvIKiFTqfksyki8-w

The Italian Way: Where Culture Becomes Innovation with Luca Cottini

This week on The Italian Radio Hour - Italy is not just as a place of beauty, but as a way of thinking.Today’s guest invites us to rethink something we often take for granted: the true power of Italy - the way it creates beauty.Luca Cottini is an Associate Professor of Italian Studies at Villanova University, a scholar of literature and culture, but also something more unusual… a storyteller of innovation.As the creator of Italian Innovators, Luca explores a fascinating idea: that Italian excellence is not accidental but comes from a unique way of thinking—where even an object, a product, a simple everyday thing can carry meaning, memory, and imagination. From the story behind Nutella to the philosophy of design, from literature to business, he shows us how Italy doesn’t just produce things… it creates stories that last.And perhaps most beautifully, he reminds us that innovation doesn’t always mean moving faster— sometimes, it means going deeper.So today, we’re not just talking about Italy.We’re exploring a mindset… a way of seeing the world.https://www.youtube.com/@ItalianInnovators