Colli Bolognesi 2023 Pignoletto Frizzante

Pairs with: Turkey stir fry with basmati rice

Good for: When you need something just slightly sweet with a hint of fun.

Grape: Pignoletto

I am from: Colli Bolognesi, Italy

The story: Donatella Agostoni and Fabio Bottonelli from Manaresi are the husband and wife team behind some of the best Pignolettos in the Colli Bolognesi (a wine producing area surrounding the city of Bologna). Most Pignoletto production happens southwest of the city in towns like Zola Predosa, where Manaresi is located. This area is known for sparkling wine production and also some of the finest expressions of Cabernet Sauvignon in all of Italy. Manaresi is named after a famous artist Paolo Manaresi, whose works can be found in Bologna, particularly in the Accademia delle Belle Arti right downtown. Like most successful Italians, Manaresi owned a country house in the hills just outside of the city center where he spent his summers and a lot of his down time. In the late 1980s, Manaresi's daughter bought adjacent land to her family's property and from there, the long process of converting the land to vineyards started. In 2009, they produced their first wines with labels inspired by the artist himself. The winery sits on 8 hectares and the property (called Podere Bella Vista, or good view) truly lives up to its name. From the highest point of the property you can catch glimpses of Bologna. Looking in the other direction however you are met with the beauty and tranquility of the unknown and underappreciated Colli Bolognesi. The vines are relatively young with the oldest planted in 1988 and most planted in 2000. Fabio and Donatella continue to look to purchase small plots of land that surround the property, continuously planting new vines. They have about 3,000 to 4,000 plants per hectare planted and they are very selective throughout the year practicing careful pruning and a green harvest. The winery is not organic certified but Fabio and Donatella are careful to avoid the use of any chemicals and prune and harvest completely by hand.