Cantina Puianello

The history of Cantina Puianello

In 1938, five men founded Cantina Puianello. Over the years, new families joined the original project and inspired values that were then shared by subsequent generations. In particular, the statute still stipulates that only grapes planted by the members themselves may be used for the production of the wines, a rare example of enhancing the value of the area that stretches from Scandiano to Canossa. Today the number of members amounts to almost 400, who cultivate a total vineyard area of 436 hectares. And in a very selective way, since only outstanding qualities are to be produced. This way, approximately 3,000 bottles of wine are produced from one hectare of cultivated land.

To care for the Cantina Puianello vineyards, strict vinification methods and new technologies were introduced, which contribute to the quality and style of the wines produced. A continuous growth that was accompanied in 2012 by the important renovation of the historic headquarters.

The original motivation was the desire to cultivate the “best hills in the world”. In the hills of Cantina Puianello, the vines grow protected from the humid climate and frequent fog typical of the Emilian plain. They offer a privileged microclimate, airy and with a good temperature range for Lambrusco, Malvasia, and Spergola. Grown on calcareous and predominantly clayey soils, the Cantina Puianello vineyards follow the trellis training system with vegetative containment wires, which combine with the Guyot pruning system.

Cantina Puianello and the Monovitigno grape

Cantina Puianello is located in the heart of the Lambrusco region, where various qualities of the indigenous Monovitigno grape can be found. Discovering the uniqueness of each variety is an exciting journey: L. Montericco stands for elegance, acidity, and freshness; L. Grasparossa stands for structure and notes of red berries; L. Barghi offers unexpected spicy notes. A range of Lambrusco wines that seemingly continues endlessly: L. Marani, L. Maestri, L. Salamino ... they can be combined as a cuvée, but the uniqueness of every single drop is owed to the Monovitigno.

The region – Emilia-Romagna

In the southern part of Northern Italy lies Emilia-Romagna with its capital Bologna. The region is particularly well known for its numerous engine factories; many well-known car and motorcycle manufacturers are based here and bring prosperity to the region: it is the third wealthiest part of Italy.

Wine is also an important source of income here. Emilia-Romagna has approx. 58,000 hectares of vineyards and produces around 8,000,000 to 9,000,000 hectolitres of wine. The climate is warm-temperate, mild, and Mediterranean, and the soil is predominantly marl.

The best-known wine of the region is Lambrusco, which is considered an entry-level wine and is often noticeably sweet. South of Bologna, Sangiovese dominates.

The most important grape varieties of the region are:

• Red: Sangiovese, Lambrusco, Cabernet Sauvignon
• White: Albana di Romagna, Trebbiano, Malvasia di Candia