Umberto Cesari, history of a long passion
It was almost a year that we had the desire to visit Umberto Cesari, one of the most famous producer of Italian wine.
On a beautiful day in mid-October we went to Castel San Pietro Terme, half an hour from Bologna, in the North of Italy, to immerse ourselves in the wine culture of the Cesari family, which tells history, experience and quality for years.
Routes of taste:
Stroll in a vineyard, discover its history, visit the place where great wines are born.
And then mix them, sip them, compare them, accompanying them to taste delicious local products: moments of pleasure that are hard to forget. Today we came here just to do this, Marina will accompany us on the tour allowing us to discover all the secrets hidden behind our wines.
About Cesari family:
Umberto Cesari is the founder of this small empire that from the 60s to today engages with heart and soul in the production of high quality italin wine. Today it has eight farms, 175 hectares of owned vineyards and 180 hectares for rent, 18,000 square meters of winery and an international sale.
Complete visit:
The complete tour of the company begins in front of an old press, a press dating back to 1600, which at the time was towed manually or by donkeys. In front of this marvelous historical find we enter in the cultivations of vine, from Albana to Pignoletto, Sangiovese, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Sauvignon Blanc etc.
Little Curiosity:
The Albana vineyard (native wine) is said to come from the Alban hills where thanks to the first Roman legionaries it was brought to the Emilian area to be protected from barbarian invasions; the vine then gradually adapted to the climate, allowing the cultivation of this typical grape, until today.
After walking among the vines discovering their differences and peculiarities, we go into the real production process, where the grapes are divided by rasps, crushed, left to ferment for a few weeks, and then to settle for a few months.
At this point, depending on the wine, it can be left to rest in barrels for several months or years, or directly bottled. Walking through the barrels immersed in the scent of wine is amazing!
The care and attention with which every production process is carried out, conveys the love that Umberto Cesari had, has, and transmitted to those who work with him.
After being stopped in cask for several years, some wines before going on to distribution and sale, are bottled and left to rest in bottles for 2 to 6 months. It is the case of the blends; you have to think of a blend as a piece of a puzzle that is assembled, like a group of people who know each other, spend time together, and only after having deepened their knowledge begin a work or a project. Here, the blends are left to rest in the bottle so that the parts that compose it can blend harmoniously.
Little curiosity:
The Liano is the first ever blend of the history of Umberto Cesari who since 1969 has kept the exact same recipe and still remains their best-selling wine.
Food and wine tasting:
Incredible but true have already been almost two hours since we arrived, and now the very kind Marina takes us into the Wine Shop, a super chic environment where in addition to the exposure of wines (which you can buy), we sit down to start the tasting of typical local products accompanied by different wines with different flavors and olfactory notes, so you can learn how to distinguish and get to know them better.
The tasting follows a common thread studied on the preferences of each person, the products that accompany them are of the highest quality, and the combination that is created is poetry.
Time flies sipping Pignoletto and MOMABianco, Liano Bianco, Colle Del ReAlbana Secco, and then go to the reds, Ca ‘Grande and MOMA Rosso, Yemula, Liano … all accompanied by typical salami, pecorino cheese, caramelized figs and jam of oranges; and then again the Tauleto and Colle del Re Passito, which together with a very tasty Cocoa bean Guido Gobino, close with balance and harmony this afternoon spent in this beautiful hills.
We were really impressed by the courtesy of this company, the experience and the love they dedicate to wine, our Italian wine.
We recommend a complete visit to each of you! The company is located in the hills near the Romagna border, close to Bologna but far from the bustle of the city. The staff will take you through a unique food and wine experience that is impossible to forget!
Useful information :
To request the complete tour of the company as we did, contact them by phone +39 051 6947811 or by e-mail by filling out the contact form on their website www.umbertocesari.it
They receive a reservation from Tuesday to Friday from 10.00 am to 6.00 pm while Saturday are open by appointment only for the tasting and for the Wine Shop (not for the complete visit), always from 10.00 am to 6.00 pm.
The tours are available in different languages, Italian, French,German and Spanish, to meet every needs!