Bertinoro: 13 sommeliers compete for the title of Ambassador of Albana

This year's 8th Albana Master, a biennial competition for sommelier tasters from across Italy, will feature a unique Emilia-Romagna challenge, with the exception of one Lombard candidate. The competition, scheduled for Sunday, September 28, will take place on the Bertinoro hill, one of the most suitable areas for the white grape variety that is the symbol of Romagna wine.

Up for grabs, in addition to a generous check, is the title of Albana DOCG ambassador for the next two years. The handover will take place directly from sommelier Marco Saiani, the Ravenna native who won the 2023 Masters, after the trophy remained outside of Romagna for three editions.

Thirteen candidates are competing, both seasoned wine competition contenders and outsiders eager to test their mettle in a high-level competition. All, however, have a wealth of impressive winemaking experience, necessary to tackle the complex challenges ahead. The Master Romagna Albana DOCG, promoted by the Consorzio Vini di Romagna and organized by AIS Romagna and the Municipality of Bertinoro, is a rigorous yet highly spectacular competition. The event kicks off in the morning with the written selection tests (behind closed doors) in the Riserva Storica hall in Bertinoro. From there, the three finalists are selected, who will compete publicly at 3:00 PM in the halls of Bertinoro's Palazzo Comunale in a no-holds-barred contest.

In front of the public, the three selected sommeliers, one at a time, will compete in blind tastings, food pairings, recounting old bottles, the history of the grape variety, cellars and labels that are symbols of Romagna, offering the attendees two hours of authentic entertainment.

The aim of the competition is to help promote the profession of sommelier, but also and above all to increase awareness and dissemination of the Romagna Albana DOCG grape variety and wine, popularize it, and encourage informed consumption of it as a local product.

In short, the event is a true tribute to Albana , Italy's first white DOCG, which after years of decline has experienced a true winemaking renaissance, so much so that today it is produced in almost a million bottles by as many as ninety wineries.

An eclectic grape variety, produced (according to the DOCG regulations) in five styles: dry, semi-sweet, sweet, passito, passito riserva, and a sweet sparkling wine that can be claimed under the Romagna DOC label. Like other great Italian grape varieties, Albana has a strong territorial identity that makes it unique and inimitable. This is evidenced by its exclusive production area, which extends like a leopard's patches across just a portion of Romagna, from the hills around Cesena, the southeasternmost production point, through the vineyards of Bertinoro, Forlì, and Faenza, all the way to Imola and the hills of Dozza.

The participants in the Master

Of the 13 competitors registered for the 2025 Masters, two are from Rimini: Marco Curzi (Riccione) and Chiara Masi (Rimini), three from Cesena: Giulia Ghirotti, Andrea Peruzzi, and Davide Vaccari. Francesco Labarile (Faenza) and Sara Mostafa (Ravenna) are from the Province of Ravenna, and Andrea Laghi is from Forlì. Carlo Falconi (Imola) and Maura Gigatti (Casalmaggiore) are from Alta Romagna. Rounding out the list of Romagna natives is Alex Cazzari, currently working in the French capital. Isacco Giuliani (Ferrara) is from Emilia, and Sommelier Andrea Rusetti is from Lombardy, specifically from the province of Como.

The jury

A panel of experts, including representatives of the national and Romagna sommelier scene and the Consorzio Vini di Romagna, will evaluate the entries. The winner will receive a €2,000 check, along with the prestigious recognition of being the grape variety's ambassador for the 2025/26 period. An additional panel of producers will award a Special Prize to the Best Sommelier Communicator of Romagna Albana DOCG, chosen from among the three finalists.

Not just Masters in Bertinoro

The Master Romagna Albana DOCG is part of the "Vino al Vino" program of events promoted by the Municipality of Bertinoro, which also features, among other initiatives, the Albana Dei Popular Jury on Sunday, October 28th, with the best Albana wines selected behind closed doors on September 26th by a panel of experts. Free tastings are offered in the Borgo square from 5:00 PM to 7:30 PM.

Info

For those who would like to learn more about the day's program, schedule the various activities, or find out how to access the tastings and discussion sessions, further information is available on the official websites. You can consult the AIS Romagna website ( www.aisromagna.it ) or the "Vino al Vino" event website at www.visitbertinoro.it/it/eventi/vino-al-vino-2025/.

They say about the master

Adolfo Treggiari, President of AIS Romagna, said: "The Albana Master, now in its eighth year, represents a unique opportunity to explore and share the diverse aspects of this eclectic native Romagna grape: from the dry, fresh, and minerally version, to the sweet, smoother and more rounded version, right up to the sweet versions and the passito, capable of expressing notes of great intensity and aromatic complexity. For the public, participating means discovering the history and identity of Albana, a unique Romagna grape, engaging with highly experienced experts and producers. And ultimately, enjoying an engaging experience, marked by conviviality and a passion for local wine."

Roberto Monti, President of the Consorzio Vini di Romagna, said: " Albana is our flagship grape, our crown jewel. We are delighted to once again be at this biennial master's event, which will expand the ranks of experts ready to strengthen the dissemination of knowledge about the grape and its wines. The demand for Albana, especially in the dry version, has grown significantly in recent years, as has the number of producers dedicated to making it and offering it to the public. Thanks to this important competition, confidence in the potential of this incredible grape has been strengthened, and the strength of the wine offering is also growing. We hope to see consumer demand grow over time, which cannot ignore the strong commitment of restaurants, which have recently shown themselves more generous with Albana labels on the menu and are finally daring to offer it by the glass as well."