Such a well-established winery as Cantine Ceci 1938, too, took note of the emerging phenomenon of Italian artisan beer, so that to its famous Lambrusco wine it has added a range of premium quality beer labels, proposed in l 0.75 bottles only with an exclusive packaging, thanks to which they are appreciated in high-end wine shops and restaurants.
The beer project
Elisa Maghenzani, responsible person of the technical office of Ceci 1938, explains: «Our project was undertaken with caution a few years ago, in collaboration with Leonardo Di Vincenzo, a recognized authority in the field of craft beer thanks to the success he met with his ‘Birrificio del Borgo’. We asked Di Vincenzo to develop the recipes for two products which had to distinguish themselves for their quality. To the rest, that is to say marketing and distribution, we would have thought by ourselves». That is how Ceci 1938 Oro and Bronzo respectively were born. They were so appreciated that the Company has been motivated to extend its offer, by adding three beers with which it plans to close the year 2014 with 100 thousand pieces and wants to undertake a project concerning export. The strengths of Ceci 1938 is the quality of its products and the appeal of the packaging: for all the beers, the same bottle which has allowed the wine Otello Oro Nero di Lambrusco to become famous is used. This wine is the flagship of the Company, whose premises are at Torrile, near Parma. This is one of the most suitable Italian lands for food and wine. Ceci beers, unpasteurized, are refermented in the bottle.
The origins
It was the year 1938, when Othello Ceci, innkeeper of the misty plain of Parma, realized that the customers of his restaurant, besides tasting excellent culatello and other cold cuts, were crazy about Lambrusco wine, which was served in bowls. As time went by, his passion was transmitted to his children, while in the 1990s his current grandchildren and great-grandchildren entered the field, with products that no one had ever imagined to achieve. Thus the Lambrusco wine Terre Verdiane was born. Today it is among the most appreciated wines in the domain of Italian catering. In 2003, after some years of experimentation in the vineyard, Otello Oro Nero di Lambrusco was born. It is an ‘extreme’ wine, characterized by a very dark colour, an intense aroma of violets and strawberry, and a soft, but important structure.
The beers
Ceci 1938 Oro (4.5% alcohol): characterized by a golden yellow colour, with a nice hat of persistent foam. Its scent is intriguing, floral, with a distinct hint of hops, thanks to the American varieties which are used. Its taste is fresh, citrusy, but with soft and enveloping body. It is easy and pleasant to drink. It gives the best of itself as an aperitif, but it is also excellent with appetizers, not too elaborate first courses, and fresh cow's milk cheeses. It is also suitable with roasted white meats or flavourful vegetable soups.
Ceci 1938 Bronzo (6.1% alcohol): characterized by a bright amber colour, with an intense, slightly rosy foam. Its scent is characterized by hints of citrus and chamomile. Its taste distinguishes itself for its full body, characteristic of the European malts which are used. It retains its freshness and therefore a high drinkability. The caramel notes emerge, melted with pleasant hints of hop and candied citrus.
It is suitable in combination with elaborate appetizers and tasty first courses, but proves to be excellent with red meats and medium-ripe cheeses, too.
The second fermentation in the bottle, which lasts until the yeasts have completed the maturation, gives a compact foam, as well as pleasant effervescence with natural sediment on the bottle bottom.
Camou (5.9% alcohol): its colour is golden yellow, slightly veiled. Its scent is floral and herbaceous, with a fragrance given by malt and yeasts. Its taste is characterized by medium body with dry, balanced, and fresh end notes. Unfiltered, it goes well with first courses characterized by strong flavour, such as risotto and ravioli with savoury seasonings, as well as structured second courses with herbs.
To the blend of malted European cereals, a part of ‘Senatore Cappelli’ wheat adds. It is one of the most valuable Italian cultivars, used raw in order to give a spicy aroma and a high digestibility.
Hippy (5.3% alcohol): characterized by a yellow veiled colour with a white, firm, and persistent foam. Its scent is intensely citrusy thanks to the hops which are chosen, with hints of cereals and wheat. Its taste is characterized by light body, with citrus notes which are released in the mouth, followed by the typical bitterness of hops. Its end is moderately persistent.
This product is inspired by Belgian beers and it is brewed with a base of malted barley and wheat, with a long infusion stage. The must becomes bitter thanks to different varieties of hops, both European and American, in order to obtain the right balance between bitter notes and aromatic intensity.
P.d.Poule (6.9% alcohol): its colour is intense golden yellow, naturally veiled. Its taste offers the characteristic fruity notes of the aromatic American hops, with hints of honey and malt.
In its taste at first fresh grassy notes of hops emerge, which gives way to the sweetness of malt, with a level of strong, but balanced bitterness.
At table it goes well with pork, ripe cheese, and smoked salami and cold cuts.
This beer is prepared with pure malt of barley, to which aromatic hops are added both during the stage of boiling of the must, and the long cold maturation in fermenters. In order to increase its aromaticity, top-fermenting yeasts are used. At the end of these stages, the beer is bottled without filtration or pasteurization.
