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A history that goes back more than a century… from 1900 until today following one guiding principle of inspiration: “a fine wine is conceived on the vine and grows in the cellar”.
Right at the very beginning of the last century, founder Giuseppe Casali decided that the wine he was producing, destined for family consumption, could be transformed into a commercial product, and so he inaugurated a professional wine-making business aimed at quality both “on the vine” and “in the cellar”, while at the same time introducing new technology to enhance natural processes.
The original wine cellar in the town of Scandiano, where the grapes were pressed and the wine matured in barrels, stood right beside the ancient tower known as the Rocca del Boiardo. It was here that Giuseppe and his sons conceived and planned the grape varieties and the wines that would become the foundation of the company’s future success.
By the 1980s this success had led to profound changes, and ever increasing sales had made a more physically adequate productive base an imperative. So the Cantina was transferred from the town-centre to nearby Pratissolo di Scandiano, in the heart of the vineyards that were home to the assortment of grape varieties used in the company’s repertoire of fine and original wines.
In 1999 the Galaverni and Zoboli families acquired the company. In 2004 the ownership was further widened to include Signor Boni, and in 2009 Giovanni Sidoli. The new joint owners brought with them their considerable experience in the fields of agriculture, high quality food & wine production and hôtellerie, infusing Casali Viticultori with fresh vitality. Active attention has also been focused on export markets and on forging intelligent synergies with local traditions and the hospitality sector.
Since time immemorial grapes have been grown on the slopes where the Tresinaro Valley meets the river Secchia, taking advantage of the clay-rich soils, the correct exposure to the sun and a mild microclimate ideal for growing grapes.
This is the natural scenic setting where the Casali Viticultori wine-making firm has flourished for over a century, and where it still has its base in an outlying hamlet of Scandiano called Pratissolo, charmingly derived from the Latin prata solis, meaning fields of sun.
Here, spread over 60 hectares of land, a whole array of grape varieties are lovingly grown, ranging from Sauvignon to Cabernet, with a notable amount of locally created cultivars, such as the Malbo Gentile, the Grasparossa, the Ancellotta and the Montericco. The outstanding native, however, is the Spergola grape, whose origins can be traced back to the XVth century, when it was mentioned by Bianca Cappello, Grand Duchess of Tuscany.
This vine grows only in the hillsides and foothills around Scandiano, and across the centuries has been given various names: Pomoria or Pellegrina in the 1600s, Spergolina, Spargolina normale and Spargolina molle in the 1800s.
In recent years Casali Viticultori has joined forces with other local producers in supporting the Compagnia della Spergola, a project that aims to protect and promote this small but priceless local heritage. Among the firm’s wines no less than four different products are made exclusively from Spergola grapes: two spumantes – Ca’ Besina and Villa Jano – and two Scandiano whites – Albòre Secco and Albòre Dolce.
Respect for tradition, local roots, and technological innovation… but also a lively entrepreneurial spirit and a carefully planned sales strategy. And above all, the ability to interpret the winds of market trends and shifts in wine-lovers’ tastes.
These are the distinguishing features of Casali Viticultori: a company that has always been committed to creating fine wines and to keeping in mind the revival and protection of local grape varieties.
This is the perspective that had led to its involvement with the Uva Spergola Project, an initiative for protecting and projecting the Spergola grape, which only grows in this area, promoted by the Scandiano-based company along with other local producers.
In parallel to this local initiative, in recent years the Casali brand has also developed a far-sighted international perspective, focussing on export markets not only in Europe but also in the US, Russia and Japan. Transcending national boundaries, it offers connoisseurs its richly varied treasure of aromas, sensations and emotions, and delights demanding palates the world over.
