Pandolfa

The world is taking to Emilia-Romagna’s delicious wines as enthusiastically as it has its unparalleled food culture, and we couldn’t be fonder of the idea. The mention of Emilia-Romagna conjures its best performing culinary exports, Aceto Balsamico Tradizionale di Modena, Parmigiano Reggiano DOP and Prosciutto Crudo di Parma DOP, to name a few, or the widely emulated Tortellini di Modena, and Lasagne alla Bolognese, which have set the standards for Italian gastronomic excellence globally. 

Emilia-Romagna’s wine renaissance is a welcome addition to a local table that is already richly adorned. The contrast between its two halves (Emilia to the west, Romagna the east) offers a fascinating insight into its wine heritage. The character of the people who live there will tell you which is which, as much as the wine styles and native varieties grown there. On the Emilia side, Lambrusco-based wines are the region’s claim to fame. On the Romagna side, native Albana, Trebbiano and Sangiovese are celebrated. Perhaps it is the Mediterranean influence, or the perseverance of farming traditions and abundant wine production along with a generous cuisine, that confer the people of Emilia-Romagna a certain cheerfulness and openness that we also found in those wines. 

Pandolfa:

Tenuta Pandolfa’s roots go back to times of knights. The name ‘Pandolfa’ is derived from Pandolfa Malatesta, the Lord of Fano, who resided there with his troops before annexing the Castle of Fiumana in 1436. He was said to be the most audacious condottieri (mercenary troops leader), and an avid art aficionado. His portrait, painted by Piero della Francesca in 1451 and now kept in the Louvre Museum, is represented on the Pandolfo and Pandolfo Riserva labels.
 
As the fourth-generation winemaker of the family, Marco caries on the estate’s history and heritage. His goal is to champion local traditions and native varieties, especially Sangiovese, using the estate’s organically grown fruit from the subzone of Predappio. It is indeed a historic Sangiovese winegrowing area where the cultivation of the variety is intertwined with the history of great winemaking families like the Ricci, who have done a lot to develop and perfect the region’s unique style of Sangiovese. His work is fundamental and illustrative of what is possible in Emilia-Romagna today.

Noelia Ricci:

Emilia-Romagna’s Romanesque architecture is a defining feature of the region’s landscape and rich history, and the backdrop to the Ricci family’s winemaking legacy. The vast and fertile plains bordering the Po River to its north have been the premises of industrial grape farming for millennia, making it a major supplier of affordable, easy-drinking table wines for the better part of the 1970s and 1980s. The 20th century saw a handful of small, quality-driven producers emerge, the likes of Marco Cirese of Tenuta Pandolfa and Noelia Ricci. 

The Noelia Ricci label was created in 2010, as part of Tenuta Pandolfa, a history-rich estate that has endured the tests of time and wars. Under the guidance of Noelia’s father, Giuseppe Ricci, the estate was restored and overhauled to include works of art inspired by the area’s medieval heritage. In addition, Ricci redefined the agricultural development of the estate by acquiring two adjacent farms, where the first Sangiovese, Trebbiano and Albana vines were planted.

Today, Noelia’s granddaughter, Paola Piscopo owns Tenuta Pandolfa. With her son Marco Cirese at the reins, the two labels are set on a successful path that was paved with tradition and respect of the land. With the Noelia Ricci wines, Marco captures the exceptional potential of the estate’s highest 9 hectares of cru sites and their unique microclimates, while making the most of the native vines, establishing new vineyards with a sustainability outlook, and finally adding a contemporary touch in the cellar.

Vaite Teriierooiterai – Master of Wine Business, AWAC and WSET Diploma candidate