A Wine Tasting For The Ages

A virtual visit to one of Romagna’s hidden gems

Saturday, October 17, 2020 at 11:00 am CT

Wind down your week with Esperienza as we take you on a virtual tour through the vineyard, the winery and the wines of Ancarani in Romagna, Italy. The pride of the Romagna wine movement, Ancarani was recently recognized by Slow Wine, part of the Slow Food movement honoring high quality and environmental sensitivity.

Along with our host and the winery’s co-owner, Rita Babini, we’ll review and taste several varietals, all with unusual stories. We’ll learn about the life and love Rita and her husband, Claudio, share in the rolling hills of Oriolo. And we’ll taste the wines, as we learn about the meticulous and conscientious approach they employ in making their award-winning biodiverse wines. Ancarani’s wines are truly representative of the terroir - a chance to taste the place in a glass, matching drinkability, structure and elegance.

Whether you’re a wine aficionado or just an interested novice, you won’t want to miss this unique event. The price of the virtual visit is $20. See below for wine purchasing info.

About the Wines

Below are the indigenous wines that have been specially selected by Rita and Claudio for our tasting and discussion.

INDIGENO (Trebbiano frizzante sui lieviti)

A very interesting wine created through a refermentation in the bottle itself. It was among the top 10 sparkling wines chosen by Eric Azimov in a recent New York Times article. Flavor notes: Taut and savory with lingering peppery, earthy flavors. 

LE SIGNORE (Famoso)

The Famoso varietal likely had its origin in the Aegean islands and was brought to the port of Rimini by Etruscan communities. From there, it spread out all over the hills of Romagna. Flavor notes: Medium-bodied, dry. Golden in the glass with a floral nose. Peach and wisteria on the palate followed by a dry, clean finish of mineral and stone fruit.

CENTESIMINO (Centesimino)

Without a doubt, the jewel of the Ancarani estate. This rediscovered indigenous grape variety is relatively “new,” with the oldest label traced to the mid-60’s. Ancarani is proud to be one of only eight producers in the region. “Centesimino” is truly a treasure for the whole territory, and one of the reasons Romagna has gained so much recent attention in the wine community.

Where to buy the wines

Because of their unique approach to wine-making, Ancarani wines are less widely available than more conventional wines. Feel free to look for them at your local wine shop. Or, through our exclusive partnership with Molly’s Bottle Shop in Seattle, Washington you may purchase a special “Esperienza Ancarani Six-Pack,” with two bottles each of the three wines and free shipping. Click here to order.


Coming Soon: More Secrets of Life Well Lived

We have much more to come in our series of Romagna: Secrets of Live Well Lived. To request updated about this and other upcoming Esperienza programs, click the link below to join our email list.