In 2023, we celebrate the 100th anniversary of the birth of Maria Callas, the “Divine”, a soprano with a unique voice. It has been 800 years since the first importation of vinum de Malvasia to Venice: by the late 1200s, due to the increasing demand for this wine, the region of Monemvasia could no longer provide sufficient production to satisfy the noble European thirst. Therefore, the Venetians invested elsewhere, planting vineyards over much of the island of Candia (which is nowadays Crete).
These are the words of Paolo Tegoni - Ozzanese DOC, a lecturer at the University of Parma, gastronome, and tireless traveler - author of the book “Malvasia, un diario mediterraneo”, published by Terrae: “A vine, that go the Candia Aromatica type, which actually arises from the crossbreeding of White Muscat with various other predominantly aromatic cultivars, such as “Malvasia di Maiatico” and renamed “Malvasia Casalini” in honor of Mr. Angelo Casalini, who owns ancient viens in Basilicagoiano, south of Parma”.
Lorenzo Numanti, the promoter of the day dedicated to Malvasia in the celebratory year of Maria Callas, and the inspiration behind the iconic label of the winery, commented: “It’s astonishing to think that this exceptional grape variety, of which Monte delle Vigne is -de facto- one of the wineries that has always made it a strength both in the field and in winemaking, is indigenous in the broadest sense of the word. It has roots in our Colli di Parma since time immemorial, not just for over 8 centuries as previously believed”.
Ma andiamo con ordine…
Martedì 27 giugno, presso Monte delle Vigne, si è tenuta un’emozionante degustazione is an cinque annate di Callas, Malvasia di Candia Aromatica, nelle sue variazioni delle annate 2005 – 2008 – 2011 – 2015 e 2017.
“We should call it Malvasia di Parma!” exclaimed Mauro Villani, owner of Villani Rappresentanze, during the tasting at Monte delle Vigne. The event featured the participation of Tegoni himself, the winemaker Andrea Bonini, well-known journalist Andrea Grignaffini, and wine educator Maura Gigatti. “It’s evocative to savor Callas while tracing the history of Malvasia through the voices of those who have loved and sought it everywhere”, commented the independent wine expert Pessina.
Following that, Sandro Piovani from the Gazzetta di Parma moderated the presentation of Paolo Tegoni’s book: the event provided participants with a unique opportunity to discover the history and nuances of this fascinating grape variety, which finds in the Colli di Parma territory an ideal environment to express its full potential.
Paolo Tegoni, the author of the book and a renowned scholar of wine terroirs, together with the professor Alberto Natale guided the guests on a captivating journey through the millennial-old history of Malvasia and its various expressions in the Mediterranean.
To conclude, the dinner under the stars organized at the Antico Casale delle Vigne saw the participation of a diverse and curious audience, including winemakers, sommeliers, wine enthusiasts, and lovers of local food and wine culture. The evocative atmosphere and Chef Mariano Chiarelli’s recipes created the perfect setting to immerse oneself in the world of this ancient grape variety and discover its secrets and peculiarities.
We can not conclude better than with a quote from Paolo Tegoni’s book. On page 55, we read: “The “Divine Aromatic” - Callas, note - is the trill of beauty from these gentle hills, the refined continuity of the Ozzano terroir, with all the credentials to uphold the oenological reputation of “Li Monti de le Vigne”.
English (UK) 
Italiano 