Curious names, captivating aromas, unique taste profiles, but often a future that promises little. This is the destiny of numerous ‘minor’ grape varieties of Italy which, of its 545 autochthonous grapes registered, number some of the most famous in the world, but there are often many that have difficulty in establishing themselves even in the land where they grow due to production difficulties, poor resistance to disease or insufficient appeal for wine lovers. One that goes against the flow is Centesimino, a grape variety of Faenza which in recent years has been able to carve out an increasingly important niche in the world of wine, convincing both neophytes and more expert wine lovers alike with its taste.
The name of the vine is none other than the nickname of Pietro Pianori, to whom we owe the rescue of this grape variety which otherwise would have disappeared during the course of the last century. Centesimino was in fact discovered in the garden of the Pianori palace in the old city centre of Faenza where it had been protected by the outer walls and survived the phylloxera epidemic, the parasite that destroyed almost 90% of European vines between the late eighteen hundreds and early nineteen hundreds. In the nineteen fifties the vine was taken to the family’s country residence at Oriolo dei Fichi, and from here it spread into the countryside surrounding the ancient hexagonal tower that stands out in the landscape.
At that time it was called Savignǒn rosso, perhaps because they wanted to enhance the pedigree with a French name since the provenance was not known. Recent studies on the vine’s DNA however have excluded foreign provenance and Centesimino was registered as a unique variety in the National Register of Vine Varieties in 2004.
Today the vineyards that cultivate Centesimino number little more than ten and the area cultivated is about 22 hectares, and yet the fame of this vine and the wine made from it has crossed the boundaries of Romagna and in some cases national boundaries. According to Alessandro Morini, the owner of the Poderi Morini and member of the “Strada della Romagna”: “The success of Centesimino is thanks mainly to its particular fragrance, the marked notes of dog rose and wild berries that easily seduce those who drink it for the first time. In the sparkling version too this feature works in its favour. Furthermore, in the sweet wine version the ability to stand up to pairings with chocolate, a characteristic not to be taken at all for granted, has made it possible to draw the attention of great chefs at the national level who have made very good use of it”.
In 2017 the Association for the Oriolo Tower promoted the publication of the book entitled “Centesimino di Oriolo”, in which the wine taster and writer Francesco Falcone mentioned the special link between Centesimino and this terroir, creating a unique situation that cannot be copied elsewhere. In the words of Mauro Altini, president of the association and also owner of La Sabbiona winery: “Our Centesimino deserves its ranking as a terroir wine precisely because it is impossible to think of this fragrant red wine without immediately associating it with Oriolo dei Fichi and its medieval tower”. A good reason for organising a trip in this corner of Romagna, as soon as it is possible to travel freely, is to get to know and appreciate this extremely pleasant wine. Centesimino and Oriolo: the challenge met by a terroir wine.
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