Great strength, an indomitable spirit and elegance that come to the fore with time typify Bursôn, one of the most interesting wines in the plain of Ravenna. Its history is relatively recent, but to understand fully its characteristics we must first go back in time to the area between the Senio and Lamone rivers where for centuries the vine was grown and the wine was transported along the canals that connected Bagnacavallo to the nearby towns. With the riverbank and land reclamation works undertaken towards the year 1200 there was more dry land and the number of vines grown in rows and supported by trees increased. It was in this situation characterised by “Alberata romagnola”, a training system which was very common until the appearance of the first specialised vineyards in the sixties, that the Longanesi grape became widespread. On account of its rustic characteristics ad resistance to rot, this grape was planted in roccoli, wooded areas at the edge of the country estates where birds of passage were snared from huts.
In fact the presence of ripe grapes on the plant all through November served to attract birds and it was in the nineteen twenties Mr. Aldo Longanesi found a vine clinging to an oak of the snare with interesting characteristics of quality and productivity when he came into possession of an estate in via Boncellino at Bagnacavallo. In the nineteen sixties the Longanesi family planted the first vineyard. The results obtained with this variety, especially if we compare with the more widespread Fortana, encouraged other farmers to ask for cuttings in order to plant new vineyards and then giving their input to the production by nursery gardeners who cultivated grafted shoots, always starting from the foundation plant. More recently the good fortune of the vine started in the nineteen nineties when the Bursôn grape (from the dialect patronymic of the Longanesi family) was listed in the National Register of Vine Varieties and the “Il Bagnacavallo” consortium introduced the public to the first Bursôn, a red wine aged in wood. Since then the quality of this wine has grown considerably. Today this vine is grown mostly in the municipal areas of Bagnacavallo, Russi, Lugo and Fusignano and the consortium recognises two types of wine, the blue label and the black label (Riserva).
The wine produced has notes of violet, blackberries, plums and liquorice. Aging in barrels enhances the aromas of spices and vanilla. On the palate it is full and sapid, with a certain roughness that softens with time. In the words of Daniele Longanesi: “Today Bursôn is a wine in good health which is appreciated mainly in the centre and north of Italy and even more so abroad where about 60% of the production ends up in Europe, China and Japan. Many people, mostly in the summer, visit our land to discover the history and the variants of this charming wine. Even in these first weeks of restarting we find a certain interest and the wineries are ready to greet the visitors”. What are the best dishes for pairing with Bursôn? Loris Tellarini of the Celti Centurioni organic winery explained: “On account of its great structure and long aging substantial dishes are needed such as tagliatelle with wild boar ragout, game, casseroles and braised meet. The most popular dish is stracotto al Bursôn (beef casserole with vegetables cooked in wine) which requires several hours to prepare on a slow heat. Anyone coming from other regions is often amazed to find such an important wine in Romagna and easily falls in love with it. A suggestion for the summer? Try the sweet version on a cool evening in good company with canapés, dry biscuits and the desire to spend a few happy hours”.
Along the “Strada della Romagna” the wineries that produce Bursôn are Celti Celti Centurioni and Longanesi (Bagnacavallo), Randi (Fusignano), Poderi Morini (Faenza).
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