Cantina Della Volta - Emilia, Italy
SOMETIMES YOU GET LUCKY...
(2012) Sitting at a table in Modena at Osteria Francescana, one of the top restaurants in the world (you could get in 2012…), the charming sommelier, Giuseppe, stops by striking up a cordial conversation. When we say we want Lambrusco - he's beside himself! It was like he was about to pull a Gene Kelly on us, and with a huge smile he suggests the Cantina Della Volta Lambrusco - a winery we have never heard of. Well, who could say no under those circumstances? So we closed the epic wine list, relaxed and began to be blown away by the cuisine when Giuseppe comes by with this weird looking squat bottle of Lambrusco… Give us a break, here is how it went:
STORY TIME AND WINE QUIZ
The Scenario:
You love Lambrusco (like us!) and you love Emilia, the people, the food and the wine. You were super super fortunate and got one of the fifteen or so tables for dinner in Modena, Italy at Osteria Francescana. At the time it is ranked as the third Best Restaurant in the World, since then it number 1, has three Michelin stars and received the only 20 of 20 score in Italy's prestigious Espresso Guide. In other words its really good and they know what they are doing. The place is super comfy and welcoming, not a an ounce of snobbery anywhere. They know food and they know wine - especially in their own backyard. As a wine lover you almost always order local, and here - well it is a no brainer. The wine guy is terrific and he's cool too...
The Decision Part:
Osteria's Wine List is a gem. So, here you are in the pantheon of cuisine of sorts in itself, that alone is qualifiers with ease as a "special occasion", and list has wonderful wines you want to try. The question hits you, "well, how much am I able to drink?! But the more true dilemma is clear - you love Lambrusco - but here? Order a Lambrusco with a killer list? Well they do have some on the list, after all we are in Lambrusco country- prime-time - but do you risk getting thrown out of this joint? Are you a cheapskate on cheap date anddont rate? or, do you do whet we did and order Lambrusco?
Beppe, knows his wines.
The Quiz:
After chatting about the list and few wines of interest you tell Beppe you want at least to try a bottle of Lambrusco. He looks at you like your long lost brother - he's excited (oh, not another $400 Barolo that may not be the best for our food!) and feeling good about your table. So, you know a bit about Lambrusco, and you see on the list a few that you know are great, but with civility, you ask Beppe what he suggests. He smiles as says Cantina Della Volta, but you've never heard of it.
Q : DO YOU:
A. take his suggestion
B. order the Cantina Della Volta
C. say yes sir, lets go with that
D. all of the above
Christian Bellei.
Cantina della Volta owner/winemaker Christian Bellei is a 100% champagne fanatic making several of the most impressive Lambrusco (yes Lambrusco) we've ever tasted. No wonder his wines have been featured in both Decanter magazine and the Wine Spectator. Christian's family had been making Lambrusco at his dad's Francesco Belli & Co winery since the twenties, when in 2010 he decided to up the ante with his own no-holds-barred operation making his own wine under the Cantina Della Volta name. The results are remarkable. Today Cantina della Volta is considered among the best wineries in Emilia-Romagna.
(E)
Click on each wine for more detail.