2013 Meggiolaro Durello Frizzante Veneto

Price: $16
Region: Veneto < Italy 
Grapes: Durello
Vineyard/Cellar Stats: certified organic; limestone rich, volcanic soil; 1 hectare vineyard, 450m altitude; methode ancestrale, undisgorged, with no SO2 added; 500 cases produced
Winemaker: Christiana Meggiolaro with Alessandro Filippi

Eleven years into an immersion in Italian wine, and I’m still stumbling across new grape varieties. This thrill of discovery is a constant source of inspiration. Such is the case here with the obscure Durello grape, reinvigorated by the Meggiolaro family. Christiana Meggiolaro was a sommelier who, after a couple of years, persuaded her partner, Riccardo, to jump ship with her and buy a winery. Today they’re living the dream, creating a legacy that they hope to pass along to their daughters. Desiring a pure expression of their local grapes (just one hectare of Durello planted!), Christiana brought on a consulting winemaker, Alessandro Filippi, whose specialty is natural wine, and completed organic certification for the estate. They’ve created a brilliant methode ancestrale bubbly that is in an entirely different universe than most of the sparkling crap you see on the market at this price. It’s cloudy from the spent lees still in the bottle (the good-for-you stuff!), but the palate is clean and bright, with stony minerality, unexpected depth and a provocative savory character. Delicious and versatile holiday bubbles that also offer inspiration and a sense of place– because friends don’t let friends drink cheap Prosecco!