The Wine: Vinovore Electric Lightning NV
Vinovore Electric Lightning NV is a rose' sparkling natural wine made from 100% Longanesi grapes planted on sand and gravel soils near Ravenna, Emilia-Romagna, Italy. Spontaneous fermentation, aged for 10 months on native yeasts, unfiltered. Aromatic profile with dried cranberries, raspberry, leather, and toasted orange peels. On the palate an oddly refreshing crisp ruby red grapefruit zip, dry and unctuous, and blood orange bitters (winemaker notes).
The Producer: Randi for Vinovore
Randi is a family-owned winery located in the Emilia-Romagna region of Northern Italy and run by mother and son Giovanna and Massimo Randi. The estate has always been focused on sustainable agriculture and indigenous varietals and is now practicing certified organic farming. Vinovore is led by Coly Den Haan, who after creating and owning Downtown Los Angeles staples The Must and Perch, wanted to turn her attention to uplifting women in the male-dominated wine industry. Coly opened Vinovore, a wine shop in Silverlake, the first of its kind in the world – a shop dedicated to exclusively carrying female winemakers and/or wineries owned by women. Coly got her sommelier certification with AIS in 2006.
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.