As a huge fan of Ferrari, I am not the slightest bit surprised that it was chosen as the official sparkling wine of the Emmy’s. Lucky for me I am ready with a chilled bottle already waiting in my fridge. Ferrari makes amazing sparkling wine from Chardonnay and Pinot Noir in Trentino.

Ferrari was founded in 1902 by Giulio Ferrari and their name is synonymous with sparkling wine in Italy. Made in the Metodo Classico style, Ferrari was among the first wineries to bring sparking wine into every Italian household. Giulio Ferrari 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. I have met all of them many times and they are a truly lovely bunch. They have a team of eight winemakers, led by Marcello Lunelli, and four agronomists.

Salute to them!