Ferrari, one of my favorite sparkling wines and one I used to celebrate all occasions, including my baby’s first birthday, was just the toast of the town in LA at the Emmy Awards. I know this because I got a press release from their PR firm but I was impressed and thought I would mention it. The Lunelli family who own Ferrari have always been lovely to me on the many occasions that we have met and it’s exciting to see an Italian wine served at such a big US event. According to the press release,”Television royalty toasted their victories last night at the 67th Emmy Awards in Los Angeles with a Ferrari… Ferrari bubbly that is! Ferrari,…, kicked off the celebration with Ferrari Brut Trentodoc, a prestige cuvée served to Emmy guests departing the awards ceremony and entering the “ultimate after-party” – the Governors Ball for the Primetime Emmys.” I should be commenting on Viola Davis’ acceptance speech but this is a wine blog and I fear those who read it aren’t so interested in my political views. That said, good for her. A little abrupt as she began but kudos for making your 5 minutes count and saying something worthwhile.

Apparently, Ferrari was also just named, “Sparkling Wine Producer of the Year” in The Champagne and Sparkling Wine World Championships. I have written many times about the winery and its wines. Here’s a post I wrote about the winery last year.

Ferrari was founded in 1902 by Giulio Ferrari and their name is synonymous with sparkling wine in Italy. Made in the Metodo Classico style from chardonnay, Ferrari was among the first wineries to bring sparking wine into every Italian household. Giulio had studied at the School of Viticulture in Montpellier and dreamt of making an Italian equivalent to Champagne. They produce some 4.5 million bottles a year.
Giulio Ferrari didn’t have any children and chose a friend and local merchant Bruno Lunelli as successor for his winery, who took over in 1952. The company was run by Bruno’s three sons, Gino, Mauro and Franco, starting from 1969 until 2005, and then Bruno’s grandchildren, Marcello, Matteo and Camilla took the reins of the firm. They have a team of eight winemakers, led by Marcello Lunelli, and four agronomists.

Salute to them!