On a hillside plot outside Bologna, Riccardo and Susanna Diamanti have turned a chance discovery into one of Emilia-Romagna's most compelling small estates. In 2003, Susanna purchased land intending to grow vegetables; she found an old Pignoletto and Barbera vineyard already thriving on the 3.5 hectares. Rather than uproot it, the couple leaned in. By 2016 they had built a dedicated winery on the property, and Oro di Diamanti was fully underway.
Backstory
The name translates as "Gold from Diamonds," a play on the family surname that captures their philosophy: coaxing precious results from humble, indigenous raw material. The estate traces its modern identity to Susanna's 2003 land purchase, though the vines themselves predate that moment. Organic certification followed early on, and in 2007 the Diamantis planted roughly 500 olive trees, expanding into extra virgin olive oil, honey, and small-batch liqueurs alongside their wines.
The Region
Zola Predosa sits in the Colli Bolognesi, the gentle arc of hills rising just southwest of Bologna in Emilia-Romagna. The terrain is mild and hilly, moderated by the Po Valley below and the Apennine ridgeline above. It is classic Pignoletto country, and the Diamantis work within that tradition while pushing its sparkling expression further than most of their neighbours.
Vineyards & Farming
The 3.5-hectare estate is certified organic. Farming favours green manure, manual shoot management, and soil work free of synthetic chemicals. Harvest is entirely by hand. Beyond the two core grape varieties, Pignoletto (also sold under the synonym Grechetto Gentile) and Barbera, the property includes Cabernet Sauvignon for a small still red.
Winemaking
The cellar philosophy is minimal intervention throughout. Grapes are pressed gently, fermentations are spontaneous with indigenous yeasts, and wines rest on their lees for extended periods before release. No fining or filtration takes place, and no sulfites are added. The winery produces wines across multiple sparkling formats: ancestral method, bottle-refermented, traditional method (with up to 24 months on lees for Gaudium), and still whites and reds. This range of techniques allows the Diamantis to highlight different facets of the same terroir.
The Wines
The portfolio centres on Pignoletto in various expressions: Gaudium (traditional method, 24 months on lees), Ancestrale (ancestral method), Argutus (bottle-fermented at lower pressure), and the on-the-lees whites Vinessum, Sorbole, and Flavus. Barbera appears as the ancestral-method Vivam and the still red Albarubra. Vinessum Rosé and Gaudium Rosé round out the range, alongside Zephyro, a still Cabernet Sauvignon IGP.
