Albinea Canali

"A landscape full of colours, scents and flavours, this is my home, the Reggio Emilia" says the current boss Vanni Lusetti, who for many years was also the chief oenologist and thus jointly responsible for the international success of the cooperative. He is fed up with the snobbery that has taken hold in some wine circles, "because elegance, drinkability and an affordable price are not mutually exclusive". And so Albinea Canali, the cooperative founded in 1936 by Lorenzo Motti and Riziero Camellini, two local pioneers with only seven members, today stands for outstanding quality at more than moderate prices - and a lot of drinking pleasure.

The winery, newly built in 2005, is architecturally exciting, generously designed on over 16,000 square metres, incorporating historic buildings, and is located in the middle of a vast area near Reggio Emilia. The vineyards of the now approximately 170 winegrowers, who cultivate the best quality grapes under strict supervision, extend to the foothills of the Apennines and the hills of Modena, bordered by the rivers Crostolo and Tresinaro. The mild climate and gravelly soils have been planted with autochthonous grape varieties since ancient times. All Lambrusco varieties, such as Salamino, Grasparossa, Marani or Lambrusco di Sorbara are ancient and native to this area. Also the varieties often used as blending partners, Ancellotta, which provides deep colour and fruit, and Malbo Gentile, which is described as a "gentle" grape variety and ensures moderate acidity and plump wines. Only a little Cabernet Sauvignon completes the portfolio, which was very modern for a while in Italy.

Even though the winery is new and equipped with the latest cellar technology and pressure tanks, the way of wine production is quite traditional. Natural fermentation in closed autoclaves (stainless steel pressure tanks) with carefully selected yeasts. Only six different wines, either "amabile", i.e. with some residual sweetness, or "secco" as a dry variant, which is gaining more and more followers worldwide, are sold in the specialized trade and gastronomy. They all have one thing in common: wonderful fruit aromas of raspberries, blueberries or blackberries and soft perlage due to the special post-fermentation technique. Which makes the wines great food companions, if they have not been drunk up long before the first course is served.

Vanni Lusetti calls the "jewel of the house" the "Ancestrale" from Lambrusco Grasparossa. Metodo Ancestrale is the traditional method of bottle secondary fermentation, as was common in the 19th century. The yeast remains in the wine and softens its structure. This second fermentation in the bottle stops automatically when the natural oxygen is used up. The wine is not shaken and then degorged as in the Champagne process, nor does it receive any dosage, but is put on sale with the yeast in the bottle. This process was also the original method used by Prosecco, where it is called Colfondo. Many young alternative winemakers today offer the same in principle as Pét-Nat.

Since 2001 Albinea Canali belongs to Cantine Riunite & CIV and is the quality flagship of Lambrusco in this group. Only the best selected grapes from around 130 hectares of cultivated area are used in the Albinea Canali winery to produce the top wines often referred to as "Cru Lambrusco". With an incomparable price-enjoyment ratio. SUPERIORE.DE