Podere Pradarolo Vej Metodo Classico NV

The Wine: Vej Bianco Antico Metodo Classico Brut NV

Podere Pradarolo Vej Bianco Antico Metodo Classico Brut 2014 is a skin contact (orange) sparkling wine made from 100% Malvasia di Candia Aromatica grown on in Località Pradarolo, Varano de' Melegari, in the hills surrounding Parma, Emilia-Romagna, Northern Italy. Vej Bianco Antico is made from organic grapes, which undergo 90 days of maceration on the skins. Fermentation is spontaneous with native yeast, the wine is bottled unfined, unfiltered, with no added sulfites.

The Producer: Podere Pradarolo

Podere Pradarolo Farm is located in the municipality of Varano de’ Melegari in the province of Parma, Emilia-Romagna, Northern Italy. The main body of the farm where the vineyards, wine cellar, and villa are located, is between 250 and 500 meters above sea level and is on the left bank of the river Ceno, where it forms a kind of natural amphitheater fully exposed to the south. One part is badlands and the rest is cultivated with fodder and vineyard.

The lands of Cretaceous origin, consisting of clays with interbedded sandstones, purplish sheen siltstones, and limestones. The microclimate is particularly interesting, for the cultivation of the vines, due to the fresh temperatures, the remarkable day-night thermal barrier and the constant marine originated breeze. Of the 60 hectares only 5 are planted with vines, 3 were planted in 1989 and 2 in 2005.

The villa was the Serravalle Podesta in 1400 when it was the most important centre, before Verano de’ Melegari became important through the settling of the Pallavicino family and the building of the Visconti style castle. Important work done in 1700 by the Giordani family, leading to the realization of the time scale and the private chapel still today dedicated to St. Bernardino of Siena. The cellar is made from an old barn for dairy cows

The Region: Emilia-Romagna

Emilia-Romagna is a region as famous for its wines as it is for its incredibly rich culinary tradition. Who hasn't tried products such as Parmigiano Reggiano DOP, Prosciutto Crudo di Parma DOP, Culatello di Zibello DOP? Who hasn't typical dishes such as Tortellini di Modena, Lasagne alla Bolognese, or Tagliatelle? It is safe to say that Emilia-Romagna set the standards for Italian culinary excellence worldwide.

Emila-Romagna is located in the northern part of Italy and is the only Italian region with traits of coast both to the east and west. Its territory is mostly flat, dominated by Italy's longest river, Po river, and by Italy's largest flatland, called Pianura Padana, the most fertile agricultural region of the peninsula.

Emilia-Romagna borders with Lombardy (north-west), Veneto (north), Marche (south), Tuscany (south-west), and Liguria (west). Bologna is the region's capital and of the Italian cities with the highest quality of life - it is also home of the oldest university in the world, founded in 1088.

In popular culture, Emilia-Romagna found new glory in recent years precisely thanks to its unmatched food culture. "Osteria Francescana", the brainchild of "poet chef" Massimo Bottura, was voted best restaurant in the world for 2016 by the World's 50 Best Restaurants' jury.

Moreover, Aziz Ansari's hit show "Master of None" is set in Modena, where Aziz (Dev) is an apprentice chef at a traditional Tortellini di Modena shop who's on a mission to try and eat each and every local delicacy he comes across.