Unfiltered Wines by Riccardo Zanotto

The Art of Drinking “Col Fondo”: Three Acts of a Sparkling Tradition

There was a time when “col fondo” wasn’t a trendy whim, but a simple, almost instinctive act, like breaking bread. In old taverns, it was one of the two wines served: still or sparkling with sediment, both born from the land and everyday labor.

First Act: Purity
Those who made it, the farmers who tended the vines, took the bottle – slightly cloudy, veiled by yeast – and handled it with care, without shaking it. They poured it into a glass carafe, the simple kind used in kitchens, far from the refined decanters of fancy parlors. They did it slowly, letting only the clear wine flow while leaving the murky sediment at the bottom of the bottle, a natural choice. A bow to simplicity.

Second Act: Rebellion
Then time shuffled the deck. The “connoisseurs,” new champions of “col fondo,” embraced the turbidity. They shake the bottle with a deliberate motion, as if awakening an ancient force, and pour the wine into wide glasses. Here, the yeasts come alive, releasing scents of bread crust, wildflowers, and earth after rain. It’s a rustic burst, a sip that tastes of a storm. A hymn to untamed nature.

Third Act: Freedom
And then there are those who choose neither one nor the other, but improvise. They uncork and pour, no rules, no waiting. Each glass is a gamble: the first, fresh and lively like a gust of wind; the last, thick and untamable like a memory that won’t fade. A toast to life’s surprises.
Three ways to drink “col fondo,” three ways to live. A rustic, honest three-act play where the wine is the narrator and the table the stage. Because “col fondo” isn’t just wine: it’s a story, an echo of distant days, a breath of a land that clings to its roots.

Ancestral “Col Fondo” Wines: An Italian Tradition with European Echoes

“Col Fondo” wines are a plunge into a captivating tradition, a throwback to winemaking methods that feel almost forgotten, snatched from the oblivion of time. These are naturally sparkling wines, crafted using the so-called “ancestral method” – or as the French say, Pétillant Naturel (Pét-Nat) or Sur lie – which involves a spontaneous fermentation in the bottle. This leaves the sediments – the “fondo” or “lees” – to impart a cloudy appearance and a rustic, utterly unique character. While their identity is strongly tied to the Italian wine scene, particularly with specific denominations and practices, the concept of in-bottle refermented and unfiltered (or undisgorged) wines isn’t exclusive to the “Bel Paese.”

Often linked to the Prosecco region, where the Glera grape reigns supreme, these wines aren’t confined to the hills of Veneto. You’ll find them in Emilia-Romagna with Lambrusco, in Piedmont with Barbera or Grignolino, and in Friuli with Ribolla Gialla. They’re a scattered treasure, popping up wherever the memory of traditional farming endures. Similarly, in other European nations with a rich winemaking history, such as France (especially in the Loire and other regions), Spain, and to a lesser extent, other areas with artisanal production, you can discover wines that follow similar principles and exhibit a deposit of yeast. These wines reflect a kindred winemaking philosophy, often leaning towards greater authenticity and minimal intervention.

The most commonly used grapes vary: Glera in the Prosecco area, Malvasia or Trebbiano among the whites, and Sangiovese or Lambrusco among the reds. What’s needed is a grape with good acidity and a profile that harmonizes with the refermentation. As for the technique, after a first fermentation in steel or concrete tanks, the wine is bottled before all the sugars have converted to alcohol. This is where the magic happens: in the bottle, the natural yeasts continue their work, creating delicate bubbles and leaving a sediment at the bottom – the very beating heart of these wines. Traditionally, bottling occurs during a waxing moon in spring to encourage the bubbles, relying on natural sugars and indigenous yeasts.

Today, fermentation can be halted with cold temperatures, with yeasts and sugars sometimes added before bottling to guide the result. In any case, nature takes its course: in the bottle, refermentation creates bubbles and sediment within 30-60 days, although some producers wait months for a richer flavor profile. The crown cap dominates, practical and resilient, ensuring a wine that will never be “corked” and can even improve with age if kept cool in the cellar. Less common is the mushroom-shaped cork with a wire cage, though it’s mandatory for Prosecco DOC and DOCG according to their regulations.

And then there’s the final ritual: drinking it cloudy, shaking the sediments for a full-bodied and wild sip, or carefully decanting it for a clarity that whispers elegance – two souls of the same wine, a vibrant echo of the land that brought it to life. In conclusion, while “col fondo” wines represent a distinctive Italian winemaking tradition with a strong regional identity, the approach of in-bottle refermentation without disgorgement is a broader concept found, with different interpretations and names, in other European winemaking regions as well, often as an expression of artisanal and terroir-driven production.