Grapes are harvested by hand and assorted in 17 kg crates. Cantina della Volta has a special crew that tends to the vines and is an important part of the harvest, carefully selecting grapes based on maturity. This crew works with producers in the region of Franciacorta as well, so they have a specific “know-how” when it comes to Spumante.

When the grapes arrive at the winery they spend a short amount of time on the skins before being pressed (hence the beautiful ruby color, and not that darker red we see with most Lambrusco). The wine undergoes a delicate press and only the first press will be used to produce all of the wines of Cantina della Volta (further pressing can mix in seeds and skins that create less desired flavors). From there, fermentation occurs in oxygen controlled steel tanks, and upon completion, the wine will spend several months on the lees to settle before second fermentation.

Second fermentation occurs with the addition of selected yeasts from the Champagne region. The wine will age (upside down, customary for champagne) for up to 24 months on the lees before disgorgement at the addition of the liqueur d’expedition. This liqueur is a house blend of sort from a base wine and sugar cane. Being a Brut (which means the wine is very dry) this house blend is not super sweet and really meant to balance out harsh acids.

Grapes are harvested by hand and assorted in 17 kg crates and are taken in to be pressed under cold temperatures. Here there is less rigorous of a selection and press than the champenoise method wines.

Second fermentation occurs in the bottle with no addition of yeasts or sugar, nothing. This style of production is known both in Italy and France as the Ancestral method. The wine is added to the bottle and closed with a metal cork screw. From here the magic happens with a completely spontaneous second fermenation at a constant temperature of about 53 degrees fahrenheit. In the Ancestral method there is no removal of the lees like the other wines from Cantina della Volta nor is there an addition of a dosage. This is why this wine is so bone dry and has sour notes of red fruit. These fruits have not been balanced by sugar in the dosage. What you see is what you get here.

See Notes from Lambrusco di Modena Brut. The process is nearly identical, besides the fact that the grapes here will spend less time on the skins before pressing, thus it’s beautiful salmon, pink color.

The carefully selected vineyard in Ricco di Serramozzini is home to Pinot Noir and Chardonnay clones, selected by Christian and his father in the early 90’s. This site was chosen to mimic conditions in the Champagne region as much as possible, with a similar micro-climate, calcareous soils, and a nearby woodsy area.

Grapes are harvested by hand and carefully taken to the winery so as to not cause breakage of skins, thus allowing fermentation to start. A very soft first press ensues with only the “fior d’uva” being moved to temperature controlled steel tanks for fermentation.

Second fermentation in the bottle ensues after the wine has had six months to rest. Here the wine ages at least 20 months in the bottle helping to create even more complexities than the previous Lambrusco’s.