Emilia Pennac Sgarbato Bianco Frizzante 2022
‘Sgarbarto’ translates to ‘rude’ in Italian, and – in case the butt-waggling pup on the bottle’s label didn’t tip you off – this wine is Silvia’s cheeky take on a regional tradition. The Oltrepò Pavese has a long history of sparkling wine production, including large plantings of Pinot Noir (Italy’s largest, in fact) and Chardonnay (to a lesser but still prominent degree), destined, as in Champagne and Franciacorta, for metodo classico bottlings. Folks make fabulous champenois-style wines here with a thoroughly Italian flair (Silvia’s in-laws at Castello di Stefanago included); Silvia has opted for a more punk-rock (or rustic, take your pick) version of things. Her Chardonnay sees a few days of skin contact before bottling, with the addition of reserved must to kick-off secondary, in-bottle fermentation. ‘Sgarbato’ may seem a little uncouth or brash at first (don’t mind the haze, as a pet-nat this sees no disgorgement), but really it’s just joyful, exuberant you might say. Sunny and savory, reeling with a fruity/floral melange of apricot, lemon oil, orange blossom, dried apple rings, and jasmine complemented by whiffs of wild herbs and a yeasty/bready tang, all carried finely on a wave of perfectly free-spirited fizz.
The brains, brawn, and beauty behind Emilia Pennac is Silvia Giani, a big-hearted rabble-rouser whose zero-zero wines are just as infectiously charming as they are impeccably made…and who also happens to have the cutest labels in the game. Having taken ownership of her parents' small property, Silvia set about crafting wines in their tiny cellar, drawing inspiration, understanding, and technical guidance from her husband’s (Jacopo Burrafald of Castello di Stefanago) hands-off approach to wine and her father’s farming practices. As she puts it: “My childhood has the taste of must, the sound of the clicking of the scissors, the scent of grape flowers. For over forty years my family has produced high quality grapes which were then delivered to the local wineries. My father has always had a lot of respect for the environment and for the vineyard, adopting a type of agriculture very similar to organic farming but without certification. Following in his footsteps, I undertook the organic path with an increasingly attentive eye towards biodynamics and biodiversity. ‘Home’ wine has always been made with indigenous yeasts, spontaneous fermentations, low sulfur, no filtration. I have maintained this great tradition, the only variable being no addition of SO2 if the year was favorable and if I listened carefully to the needs of my vineyards! My wine is made by itself: I choose the grapes, I follow the steps, but the rest is magic, pure enchantment, the expression of a year of work.”
Shipping Policy
Due to the restrictions of many state laws, we only ship wine to those states where direct shipment from a retailer is permitted by law; currently we ship to AK, CA, DC, ID, LA, MO, NE, NV, NH, NM, ND, OR, VA, WV and WY. This list is subject to change without notice. In addition, each state imposes limitations on the amount of wine any particular resident may receive by direct shipment. To ensure that you are able to order wine for direct shipment from our website, please consult the specific state requirements for your state.
Please note that all orders must be placed by persons who are at least 21 years old, and that age verification will be required upon receipt of your wine. No wine will be delivered to obviously intoxicated persons and any person unable to provide age verification will forfeit their right to receive the shipment until identification is produced. In such circumstances, the order may either be held in storage at a local depot of the shipping company until appropriate identification is produced, or shipped back to the winery. All associated costs will be the responsibility of and be charged to the customer.
Title to, and ownership of, all wine passes from Biondivino to the purchaser in the State of California and the purchaser takes all responsibility for shipping it from California to his/her home state. By arranging for transportation of the wine, Biondivino is providing a service to, and acting on behalf of the purchaser. By utilizing this service from Biondivino, purchaser is representing that he/she is acting in compliance with his/her local and state laws regarding the purchase, transportation and delivery of wine. The purchaser represents that he/she has obtained any required permission, paid any required fees, is working through properly licensed intermediaries where required, is legally entitled to take possession of wine and is legally entitled to take quantities ordered.
You will be charged the applicable sales tax, if any, assessed by your state for any shipment that Biondivino makes; otherwise California sales tax will be assessed on the sale. Shipping and handling costs are not included in the cost and will appear in the shopping cart before you complete your transaction. The carrier and service speed may vary by state and time of year, and Biondivino cannot take responsibility for the condition of any wine shipped by Ground.
Some of our products are sold on a "pre-arrival" or "futures" basis. These products are explicitly indicated as "pre-arrivals" or "futures" on our Website and newsletter. Biondivino will notify you by email when your "pre-arrivals" or "futures" have arrived and are ready to be shipped. You will be given the opportunity to coordinate the proper shipping address and method (we won't automatically ship out pre-arrival wines when they arrive).
Shipping Policy
Due to the restrictions of many state laws, we only ship wine to those states where direct shipment from a retailer is permitted by law; currently we ship to AK, CA, DC, ID, LA, MO, NE, NV, NH, NM, ND, OR, VA, WV and WY. This list is subject to change without notice. In addition, each state imposes limitations on the amount of wine any particular resident may receive by direct shipment. To ensure that you are able to order wine for direct shipment from our website, please consult the specific state requirements for your state.
Please note that all orders must be placed by persons who are at least 21 years old, and that age verification will be required upon receipt of your wine. No wine will be delivered to obviously intoxicated persons and any person unable to provide age verification will forfeit their right to receive the shipment until identification is produced. In such circumstances, the order may either be held in storage at a local depot of the shipping company until appropriate identification is produced, or shipped back to the winery. All associated costs will be the responsibility of and be charged to the customer.
Title to, and ownership of, all wine passes from Biondivino to the purchaser in the State of California and the purchaser takes all responsibility for shipping it from California to his/her home state. By arranging for transportation of the wine, Biondivino is providing a service to, and acting on behalf of the purchaser. By utilizing this service from Biondivino, purchaser is representing that he/she is acting in compliance with his/her local and state laws regarding the purchase, transportation and delivery of wine. The purchaser represents that he/she has obtained any required permission, paid any required fees, is working through properly licensed intermediaries where required, is legally entitled to take possession of wine and is legally entitled to take quantities ordered.
You will be charged the applicable sales tax, if any, assessed by your state for any shipment that Biondivino makes; otherwise California sales tax will be assessed on the sale. Shipping and handling costs are not included in the cost and will appear in the shopping cart before you complete your transaction. The carrier and service speed may vary by state and time of year, and Biondivino cannot take responsibility for the condition of any wine shipped by Ground.
Some of our products are sold on a "pre-arrival" or "futures" basis. These products are explicitly indicated as "pre-arrivals" or "futures" on our Website and newsletter. Biondivino will notify you by email when your "pre-arrivals" or "futures" have arrived and are ready to be shipped. You will be given the opportunity to coordinate the proper shipping address and method (we won't automatically ship out pre-arrival wines when they arrive).