Have you heard the fascinating story behind the Centesimino grape variety and how it got its unique name? We bet you haven’t!
First of all, we are talking about the most important red grape variety in Torre di Oriolo. Here it was saved from phylloxera and this is where its greatest production is concentrated.
It serves as the flagship wine for all seven wineries in the area, making it an excellent starting point for exploring and organizing a tour of our beautiful hills!
It was once known as Savignone. I know what you are thinking…but NO!
It has nothing to do with Cabernet- Sauvignon and even less with Sauvignon Blanc!
The grape it produces is red berry and it is considered a semi-aromatic variety.
After the arrival of phylloxera, like many other European grape varieties, Savignone was at risk of extinction. However, thanks to the efforts of Pietro Pianori of Faenza, it was able to recover and spread once again.
Pianori kept a Savignone plant in excellent health in his garden in the center of Faenza and decided to propagate its scions on his farm in Terbato, close to the Torre di Oriolo dei Fichi.
Over time, the Savignone grape lost its original name and came to be known by the nickname of its savior, Pietro Pianori. In the Romagnolo dialect, it was called Zàntesmen, or Centesimino in Italian, due to Pianori’s known reputation for being stingy.
Recent analysis of its DNA has shown that Centesimino is a hybrid of Sangiovese and Moscato Violetto grapes.
Pietro Pianori’s Centesimino vineyard survived at the Terbato Estate until 1980. Before it was cut down, Don Antonio Baldassari managed to recover the scions and propagate them again in his vineyards at San Biagio Vecchio.
I’m sure you’re curious to know if the wine lives up to its fascinating history!
Well, I can tell you that Centesimino is really good: it is a mouthwatering and fragrant red with fruity notes that recall wild strawberries, raspberries but most notably, it features an unmistakable bouquet of roses.
What are you waiting for? Come and try it! I am sure it will surprise you!
A small winery with just a few hectares of vineyards on the beautiful hill of San Biagio Vecchio, on yellow sand and clay soils.
