The Winery

In Emilia-Romagna, millennia-old food and wine traditions are carried on, such as those for vinegar and wine. In Pratissolo di Scandiano, not far from Reggio Emilia (the town where the tricolor of the Italian flag was born), there is a winery that boasts more than 120 years of history and that today, thanks to a careful transmission of knowledge from one generation to the next, is present with its wines in 30 countries around the world.

This is Casali Viticultori, a winemaking company founded in the early 20th century, when the founder Giuseppe Casali decided to turn his family production into a real business. The first winery in Scandiano, close to the ancient Boiardo fortress - a shining local testimony to the Middle Ages and Renaissance - eventually became too small, and the headquarters moved in the 1980s to its current location in Pratissolo di Scandiano. Today Casali Viticultori represents a benchmark of wine production in the area and, at the end of 2014, became part of the Emilia Wine Group, which brings together local wine excellence.

Thanks to its membership in the Emilia Wine Group, Casali Viticultori has at its disposal 1870 hectares of land, within which grow many indigenous grape varieties: from Spergola to Malvasia di Candia Aromatica, as well as Malbo Gentile and the rich and varied family of Lambrusco. At Pratissolo di Scandiano, the modern winery houses stainless-steel tanks for the production of Lambrusco and treasures Emilia-Romagna's first Traditional Method sparkling wine: Bottles of Ca' Besina, which rest on the lees for at least 48 months.

Preserving the local indigenous heritage through production that respects the characteristics of the grape varieties and the terroir that hosts them has always been one of Casali Viticultori's cornerstones. In addition to the protection of the large family of varieties that make up the articulated universe of Lambrusco - Marani, Salamino, Montericco, Grasparossa, Ancellotta - one of Casali Viticultori's distinguishing features is certainly the custody and protection of Spergola. The origins of this native grape date back to the 15th century (we are at the beginning of the Italian Renaissance!), when it was mentioned by Bianca Cappello, Grand Duchess of Tuscany. It is a grape variety that grows only in the hills and foothills from Scandiano to Quattro Castella, and throughout history it has received several names.

Because of its medium-small berries and yellow-green skin, Spergola was long confused with Sauvignon Blanc, but more in-depth studies from a morphological and genetic point of view later proved its uniqueness, securing its inclusion in the National Catalogue of Vine Varieties.

Over the years, attention to the culture of the terroir has been combined, in an almost natural way, with respect for the environment. The care and attention to what is done at the winery has since been embodied in the certification of the quality management system through the FSSC 22000 standard issued by CSQA. Casali Viticultori's goal is to provide concrete guarantees of safety along all stages of the supply chain, within a framework of complete transparency.