Ruggine, Famoso, Centesimino. No, these are not the names of grand Italian piazzas or revered opera composers. They are grapes. I am betting you may not have ever heard of any of them. And it’s a shame, because they make fantastic wine. I was able to taste all of these indigenous and mainly forgotten varietals when I spent the day with Leone Conti in a small town near Faenza.
Emilia-Romagna is a region mainly known as the home of Parmigiano Reggiano and Prosciutto di Parma. But, the region’s wines are often overlooked and overshadowed by the popularity and widespread marketing of the wines of Piedmont or Tuscany. Leone Conti is a testament to the fact that Emilia-Romagna’s wines are something worth paying attention to. And something worth drinking a lot of. The goal is “to revive indigenous grape varieties while enjoying to make (the) work more innovative and playful.” He is improving the vinification of and setting standards for the famous wine of the region, Albana di Romagna (as well as Sangiovese di Romagna) but having some fun and success with the unusually fragrant and unique varietals of the region.
Grape: Ruggine. One of my favorites of the day. Aged in new french oak but delightfully light and pear-tastic
Grape: Centesimino (two ways). The passito "Emozioni Lato R" and the secco "Arcolaio"
The two centesiminos. Lavender, rose and pomegranate.
Leone Conti is one of my favorite winemakers because his personality and creativity is not only displayed on the outside of the bottle but inside as well. You are not just drinking wine but drinking an experience. As Leone and his partner Coral explain, “There is nonetheless an idea that permeates all the wines. This idea is to have and give emotion, imagination and love through our work, and to share it with you.” The complete portfolio of wine is wonderfully diverse and drinks almost like a piece of sheet music. High notes, low notes, fragrant, earthy, fortissimo and piano. Any emotion, any occasion, any season or dish can be enhanced and complimented by one of these wines. The range is diverse, but true to the region and its varietals and distinctly Leone Conti. One of his wines, Emozioni, is actually named after a famous Italian song. To better understand and appreciate the wine, Leone put on the record and sang the song as we tasted! Dear Leone, you are definitely invited to my next party.
We strolled through the Albana vineyard as the day came to a close (and before we set off on a truffle extravanganza). This was the only vineyard to still have fruit as the grapes are the last to be harvested for production of the Albana Passito. They are waiting until botrytis (aka noble rot) begins to slowly attack the grapes. It was also interesting to see this vineyard as the vines are trained in the Pergola Romagnola method, which is why these lovely clusters delicately dangle so beautifully.
In writing this post I think it has finally and truly hit home how incredibly lucky I am. I get to travel throughout Italy and meet the winemakers I respect and admire. I get to walk the land they walk everyday and hear their stories and drink the wine they make with them. My day with Leone Conti and Coral McGill was a perfect example of how wine can become something much more than just a beverage or a dinner companion. It can be an artistic expression of the winemaker, an expression of the land, an expression of love and collaboration. All of these things combine to create an experience that is much more than drinking wine. I get to feel this. I only hope that by writing and sharing my experiences, that you can try to feel that too.
