At the XXI edition of the Città del Vino Wine Competition, the Castelli Romani and surrounding areas stood out with their excellent wines, winning numerous medals, as in the case of Cantine Silvestri and its bubbles of excellence.
The National Association of Wine Cities – L’Associazione Nazionale Città del Vino
The L’Associazione Nazionale Città del Vino was born as a movement that could support wine businesses in the promotion of wine, but at the same time identified even then the value of the territory as the key to the development of rural areas.
To date, the Città del Vino represents an itinerary that crosses Italy’s historic villages, cities of art, sea or mountains, and realities that have a wine and gastronomic history to tell. This network, in turn, operates within a larger circuit, Recevin – Europea delle Città del Vino. Each year, about 60 commissioners including oenologists, buyers, importers, technicians and journalists from Italy and abroad participate in the competition tasting sessions.
Cantine Silvestri’s Awards at Città del Vino
Bringing home excellent results were a number of wineries from the Lazio region, just like Cantine Silvestri, which can thus boast a Grand Gold Medal with an impressive 92.8 points for Virbio Spumante Dolce Aromatico based on Moscato and Aleatico and a Gold Medal with 85.2 points for Chardonnay Brut based.
Virbio is a sweet sparkling wine, thus ideal in pairings with pastry products and, especially, with strawberries and wild strawberries, typical of Nemi.
Brut, composed only of Chardonnay, is the perfect accompaniment to the very famous porchetta di Ariccia but also to the typical Roman supplì, which requires a lively wine, light in alcohol and with good freshness.
Cantine Silvestri
The award is in recognition of the three generations that have dedicated themselves to sparkling wine-making for almost a century. A passion handed down from father to son, now inherited by Alfredo Silvestri, the latest generation of the Silvestri family to run the company and grandson of the founder of Cantine Silvestri. Dating back to 2019 is the award given to them by Luca Maroni as the best Charmat in Italy. Lake Nemi and Lake Castel Gandolfo, the volcanic soil, and the proximity to the sea give these wines unique scents.
A large part of the production, which reaches up to half a million bottles a year, is devoted to sparkling wines such as Brut, whose first vintage was produced in 1949 and is composed only of Chardonnay and obtained through the Charmat Method, with frothing in an autoclave and 7 months of aging. With a brilliant straw color and fine effervescence, this sparkling wine gives fruity and floral fragrances on the palate, with subtle mineral and savory hints. Up to 50,000 bottles a year are produced, including magnum versions.
“For the winery and all those who work there, this award means so much and is a confirmation of the satisfaction we receive daily from the people who know and drink our bubbles. It is precisely the customers who repay us for the constant passion we put into our work and our family tradition,” concludes Alfredo.