Autochtona Award 2021: the winners

There was great expectation to know the winners of the Autochtona Award , the prizes reserved for wines obtained from native vines announced yesterday during the largest Italian Forum dedicated to native vines grown from north to south of our boot, held in the pavilions of Fiera Bolzano.

Autochtona was held as usual inside the Hotel, an international fair for hôtellerie and catering, and was characterized by a large tasting counter, managed by the AIS sommeliers of the Alto Adige section, which welcomed sector operators and wine lovers. A unique opportunity to be able to taste just under 500 wines from all over Italy, made with vines now well known and widespread in many regions, as well as with varieties that have risked extinction and that have found a home in specific areas.

"This year we have been able to fully implement the new Autochtona formula that they had devised last year" explained Thomas Mur , Director of Fiera Bolzano. "Many producers, whom we thank, have trusted us and sent their samples not only to participate in the Autochtona Awards, but also to take part in what has become the largest tasting stand dedicated to wines from indigenous vines in Italy. . An opportunity that all visitors have greatly appreciated and that has enhanced the work that many vignerons carry out every day and that deserves to be told, as we have been doing for 18 years now ".

All the wines for tasting were the same ones that participated in the Autochtona Awards, including the 14 awarded wines.

The Best Bubbles are those of Cantina della Volta , an Emilian company that has often excelled in this category in Bolzano: the 2016 Lambrusco di Sorbara Spumante Doc Brut Rosè convinced the jury. Still on the subject of bubbles, but this time obtained with the Ancestral Method, one of the two new entries among the prizes of this edition, the winner is once again an Emilian Lambrusco di Sorbara , the one produced by the Marchesi Ravarino winery with the 2020 vintage.

We move to Etna for two prizes: the Best White Wine is won by the Etna Bianco DOC Ante 2018 , obtained with the Carricante grape and produced by the I Custodi delle Vigne dell'Etna company while the Best Rosé Wine is awarded l ' Etna Rosato DOC "Piano dei Daini" 2019 , made by Tenute Bosco with the Nerello Mascalese variety. The wine that won the Best Orange Wine award for the first time, the second novelty of this edition, produced by the Emilian company Torre Fornello, is a Malvasia di Candia Aromatica from the Colli Piacentini of the 2015 vintage .

The Best Red Wine award comes from the Aosta Valley, home of native vines with great personality: it is the Mayolet of Cantina Di Barrò with the 2019 vintage. For the second consecutive year the Best Sweet Wine is still a Vin Santo di Vigoleno , that is to say that of Alberto Lusignani , obtained with Santa Maria, Melara and in minimum blends also Bervedino and Ortrugo.

The Tasting Lagrein section, dedicated to the South Tyrolean autochthonous red grape variety of the same name, saw three wines excel in the three historic categories of this award. The Best Lagrein Rosé is the Mitterberg IGT Lagrein Rosé 2020 from Pfannenstielhof , the Best Lagrein Vintage is the Südtirol-Alto Adige Lagrein DOC Badl 2019 from the St. Quirinus Estate . While the Best Lagrein Riserva is the Südtirol-Alto Adige Lagrein DOC Riserva 2015 from the company S t. Peter by Roland Gamper .

Finally, the Special Mentions of the Autochtona Awards. The Terroir Prize was awarded to the Friulian company Damijan Podversic with the IGT Venezia Giulia Ribolla Gialla 2017 , while the Spirito diVino Prize, from the magazine of the same name, goes to Buranco with its 2018 Sciacchetrà . The Young Winegrowers Vinarius Award, which the historic Association of Italian Wine Shops Vinarius assigns to the best Under 40 winemaker, goes to Alberto Zini of the Tenuta La Riva company with the Colli Bolognesi Pignoletto DOCG Spumante Pinus Laetus 2016 . Finally, the Tannic Award, awarded by the famous online wine shop, is won by the Valle d'Aosta Fumin DOC 2019 by Les Crêtes .

The jury of the Autochtona Awards this year was chaired by the well-known critic and journalist Daniele Cernilli (DoctorWine), and saw the presence of Giuseppe Carrus (Gambero Rosso), Fabio Giavedoni (Slow Wine), Andrea Gori (Intravino), Christine Mayr (Vitae-AIS), Alessandra Piubello (I Vini di Veronelli), Marco Rossi (Tannico), Leila Salimbeni (Spirito diVino), Alessandro Franceschini (Viniplus di Lombardia), Pierluigi Gorgoni (journalist, oenologist and teacher of the Alma school) . Together with them, thanks to the collaboration with the ICE Agency, international professionals of the caliber of Richard Baudains (Decanter), Paula Bosch (sommelier, journalist and writer), John Brunton (The Guardian), Sigi Hiss (Vinum) completed the jury ) and Anders Levander (DinVinguide).

Among the novelties that characterized this edition of Autochtona there were also three Masterclasses that allowed to deepen some topics of great interest on native wines thanks to tastings led by Gigi Brozzoni, co-curator of the Guide I Vini d'Italia by Veronelli Editore, Sofia Landoni, journalist of James Magazine and Charlie Arturaola, Sommelier, talent scout, wine critic and wine educator of international fame, who in his long career has brought wine to the big screen as an interpreter and film producer.

Here are summarized all the winners

Best Bubbles

Cantina della Volta - Lambrusco di Sorbara Spumante Doc Brut Rosé 2016

Best Ancestral Wine

Marchesi Rivarino - Lambrusco di Sorbara DOC "Baby Magnum" 2020

Best White Wine

The Custodians of the Etna Vineyards - Etna Bianco DOC "Ante" 2018

Best Rosé Wine

Tenute Bosco - Etna Rosato DOC "Piano dei Daini" 2019

Best Orange Wine

Torre Fornello - Colli Piacentini Malvasia DOC "Una" 2015

Best Red Wine

Cantina Di Barrò - Valle D'Aosta DOC Mayolet 2019

Best Sweet Wine

Alberto Lusignani - Colli Piacentini DOC Vin Santo di Vigoleno 2010

Tasting Lagrein - Best Lagrein Rosé

Pfannenstielhof - Mitterberg IGT Lagrein Rosé 2020

Tasting Lagrein - Best Vintage Lagrein

St. Quirinus Estate - Südtirol-Alto Adige Lagrein DOC Badl 2019

Tasting Lagrein - Best Lagrein Riserva

St. Peter Roland Gamper - Südtirol-Alto Adige Lagrein DOC Riserva 2015

Special Mentions

Terroir Award

Damijan Podversic - IGT Venezia Giulia Ribolla Gialla 2017

Spirito diVino Award

Buranco - Cinque Terre DOC Sciacchetrà 2018.

Vinarius Young Winegrowers Award

Tenuta La Riva - Colli Bolognesi Pignoletto DOCG Spumante Pinus Laetus 2016

Tannic Award

Les Crêtes - Valle d'Aosta Fumin DOC 2019