Cheerful, tantalizing, sparkling, lively: always irresistible, the bubbles with their effervescence and freshness are perfect to accompany summer evenings between outdoor dinners and aperitifs at sunset. From Trentino to Sicily, each region has its own sparkling wine that expresses in an authentic and distinctive way the peculiarities of the terroir from which it comes: a treasure in which are not the labels produced with the classic international grapes (Chardonnay and Pinot Noir) but also the sparkling wines obtained from traditional grapes of our country.
In many cases little known and at risk of extinction, the ancient native Italian varieties with their important acidity allow to obtain bubbles extraordinary and great character: real gems to drink that we from Proposta Vini values since 2004 with the project "Bollicine from Italian grapes" which collects 42 sparkling wines that represent the variety and peculiarity of our territory. We tell you six with which to toast the summer:
La Chimera
Ae Rosé Brut Nature
In the heart of the Val di Susa, Stefano Turbil founded the farm La Chimera in 2005 with the aim of enhancing the territory and its varieties (such as Avanà and Becuet), recovering old terraces over 700 meters of altitude that risked abandonment. From the increasingly rare red berried grapes of Avanà comes Ae, Rosé Brut Nature that with its strong character tells a lot about the valley from which it comes. Of copper color, the nose reveals intense fruity aromas, raspberry and strawberry on all, while in the mouth it conquers with a good acidity combined with the fineness of the bubbles. The ideal combination with pizza, fried mixed, cod-marinated, vegetable lasagne, eggplant parmigiana and grilled chicken.
Claudia Augusta
Negron de Orzan Extra Brut Blanc de Noir
Led by Daniele Endrici, the project Claudia Augusta (which takes its name from the famous Roman road that has been a bridge between Italy and Germany for centuries) preserves some of the oldest and most unique grape varieties in Trentino, including Negron de Orzan, a rare almost extinct vine.
From these autochthonous grapes, grown in the vineyard of Madonnina di Civezzano, comes the Negron de Orzan Extra Brut Blanc de Noir Metodo Classico. Straw yellow in colour, this bubbly to the nose gives a delicate bouquet with hints of ripe apple and pear and hints of citrus. The palate is fresh, lively and mineral, with a nice structure and creaminess, all accompanied by fine bubbles, elegant and persistent. The balance between fruity freshness and mineral note make it perfect as an aperitif and to taste with seafood appetizers, crustaceans, sushi, fish carpacci, fresh cheeses and poultry dishes.
La Staffa
Mai Sentito
A fresh and convivial sparkling wine, which in its immediacy tells the salient features of the territory: here is Mai Sentito di La Staffa, an organic farm located on the hills of Staffolo (AN) that produces artisanal wines with a strong identity. Refermented on yeasts with ancestral method, this wine is made from Verdicchio (80%) and Trebbiano (20%) grapes grown on calcareous clay soils rich in calcium carbonate that give the wine a particular flavor. A bubbly that stands out for its great crispness with an intense, very persistent, fine and fruity aroma in which you can see hints of yeast, bread and wild fennel. In the mouth it is dry, refreshing and quite soft. Very balanced and persistent, it goes well with fish appetizers, frying, crustaceans, fresh cheeses but also cold cuts and cured meats.
Verro
Sheep Extra Brut 30 mesi M.C.
Enhancing the wine heritage and producing wines that follow the traditions linked to the territory is the mission of Verro, a farm in Formicola, in the upper Caserta region, which has rediscovered the ancient vine Coda di Pecora, whose recognition and inclusion in the official list of Italian grape varieties was completed only in 2023. Verro is the only winery to produce wines with pure Coda di Pecora grapes, and offers a sparkling version that ages for 30 months. Straw yellow with golden reflections, Sheep Extra Brut 30 months has aromas of honey, citrus and broom while in the mouth it is fresh, with a marked savoury and fine and persistent perlage. To try with seafood appetizers, raw fish, pasta with scampi and clams, cheeses.
Ansaldi
Ansaldi Brut
In Sicily, on the plateau of the Feudi di Marsala, Giacomo Ansaldi and his family have chosen to pass on the culture of Perpetuo wine using the traditional production method of the area. An important recovery action aimed at safeguarding a unique heritage: that of the precious ancestor of Marsala, whose origins date back to the time of Fenici and Cartaginesi and whose particularity lies in the particular aging technique that provides for the permanence in barrels forever.
Custodian of this tradition, Ansaldi has chosen to use the Perpetuo to create the liqueur de dosage for its Ansaldi Brut, a Classic Method obtained from the early harvest of the best biotypes of Grillo cultivated in organic. With a fine and persistent perlage, this Brut envelops the nose with complex citrus notes punctuated by pleasant notes of honey and toasted bread. In the mouth it is fresh and persistent and therefore ideal to uncork at aperitif time.
Quartomoro
Q Brut Nature
Producing wines that are expression of the Sardinian land, its biodiversity and the varieties of grapes grown in this region is the goal of the winery Quartomoro who in 2009 decides to try to produce sparkling wine driven by curiosity «to see, feel and taste a grape of the Sardinian tradition with bubbles». Thus, from the grapes of Vermentino, Q, a sparkling wine that is aged on yeasts for 24 months gives a pleasant olfactory complexity, with hints of flowers and Mediterranean herbs, all supported by a good minerality. The palate is lively, fresh and elegant, with a good balance between notes of iodine, ripe fruit and spices. To be enjoyed throughout the meal, with a menu based on fish and white meat but also with pizza and savoury cakes.
