Orsi San Vito Pignoletto Frizzante Sui Lieviti

Federico Orsi was born in Bologna but grew up in Brazil. After returning to Italy in his late teens to study business, he began working as a consultant while planning to earn his MBA. Though poised for the corporate life Federico developed a passion for wine and when a local Bolognese winery, Azienda Agricola San Vito, went up for sale in 2005, Federico changed life paths and purchased the estate on the condition that it would be resold if he could not make it work financially after five years. With no knowledge of viticulture or winemaking, Federico hit the books and eventually came across the philosophy of biodynamic farming. This holistic approach deeply inspired him, and with the knowledge acquired through numerous meetings with biodynamic farmers, the estate was converted from its first year under new ownership. Minimal intervention winemaking soon followed, and by 2009 the wines were all vinified with native yeasts un-fined unfiltered and only lightly sulfured at bottling. The estate located 30 minutes from Bologna in the town of Monteveglio consists of 9.5 hectares of land, with an additional 5.5 hectares rented. Seven of those are planted in the indigenous white grape Pignoletto which mostly produce this” Sui Lieviti", a traditional “Col Fondo” sparkling wine…..one of our favorite bottles of farmhouse fizz whose arrival we anxiously await each year. Pignoletto is a grape indigenous to the Colli Bolognesi. Federico harvests this from young vines planted over clay and limestone. It is fermented in vat, with a little of the must from the same harvest added to the bottle for the second fermentation then aged on its lees and never disgorged. This wine is beautifully textured with preserved lemon, chamomile and mineral aromas supported by fine bubbles and a gentle acidity. Bone dry and decidedly salty, with pear and apple skin, and barbecued pineapple. Federico also makes the most incredible mortadella with the pigs he raises on his land and we couldn’t think of a better snack to eat with this wine!