# Il Mio Malvasia Dolce (2020)

- **Producer:** Camillo Donati
- **Colour:** white
- **Type:** sparkling
- **Grapes:** Malvasia di Candia Aromatica
- **Region:** Emilia-Romagna, Italy
- **Style:** Natural
- **Alcohol:** 5.0%
- **Average price:** €18
- **Vegan:** Yes
- **Contains sulphites:** Yes
- **When to drink:** Now
- **Serving temperature:** 10–12 °C
- **Aromas & flavours:** peach, apricot, lemon, grapefruit, orange, ginger, herbaceous, bread, brioche, honey, dried apricot, marmalade

## About this wine

Camillo Donati was a professional accountant who, following his father's passing in 1992, returned to his grandfather's 1930s-era estate in the hills of Parma, Emilia-Romagna. Dedicated to preserving traditional, natural viticulture, Donati farms his vineyards organically and biodynamically. This sweet sparkling Malvasia is a cornerstone of the estate; the sweet must is considered the 'King of the Cellar' because it is kept in reserve to kickstart spontaneous bottle refermentation in Donati's dry base wines. This wine represents a deep commitment to ancestral methods, capturing the rustic, living spirit of the region without cellar manipulations.

## Interesting facts

- Producer Camillo Donati walked away from a career as an accountant in 1992 to revive his grandfather's historic 1930s estate.
- The fermentation is stopped using a traditional fabric 'sack filter' to physically strain out yeasts, keeping the alcohol at 5%.
- This sweet must is the 'King of the Cellar,' used in spring to kickstart bottle refermentation for Donati's dry sparkling wines.

## Food pairing

The pairing strategy relies on two classic principles: regional affinity and sweet-to-salty contrast. The high natural acidity of the Malvasia cuts through the rich, fatty textures of local cured meats like Prosciutto di Parma and Spalla Cotta, while its residual sweetness beautifully balances their intense saltiness. For desserts, the wine's moderate alcohol and bright fruit profile complement light, non-chocolate sweets like panettone and fruit tarts without overwhelming the palate.

## Wine making process

The grapes are harvested manually late in the season to optimize natural sugar concentration. Fermentation begins spontaneously in stainless steel tanks using only native yeasts, accompanied by skin-contact maceration. To preserve the natural residual sugars and limit the alcohol to around 5% ABV, the fermentation is physically halted using a traditional fabric 'sack filter' (filtro a sacco) to strain out the active yeasts. In the following spring, during the waning moon, the sweet must is bottled. A spontaneous refermentation occurs naturally in the bottle, creating a gentle frizzante carbonation. The wine is bottled unfined, unfiltered, and with no added sulfur dioxide.