Having gone to graduate school in Bologna, I have a soft stop for all that comes from the region. Pignoletto which is genetically similar to Umbria’s Grechetto is an interesting local variety that can be made in different styles. I was happy to try the sparkling version pictured above recently at Vinitaly. This wine was from a winery called Lodi-Corazza. They were showcasing the wine in the pavilion which housed the natural winemakers, those who are organic and biodynamic or who follow certain sustainability practices. Lodi Corazza in particular uses integrated farming techniques. The winery is run by a brother and sister, Cesare and Silvia since 1997. I met Silvia at the fair.

The soils in this area are poor red earth soils and they are part of the Colli Bolognesi DOC. This property has been in the Lodi family for more than a century. In the 1950’s the property was given to Maria Luisa Lodi, the Mother of Cesare and Silvia. The name Corazza was added later for their father Corrado Corazza.