The Marchese Antinori Nature Spumante is prepared with great care and attention, combining in equal parts the best Pinot Nero grapes, originating from the vineyards of the Oltrepò Pavese, with Chardonnay grapes from Trentino. Hence the cuvèe, or blend, is born from the combining of two different vineyard selections carefully chosen to obtain the desired harmony. Contact with the yeasts lasts about 18 months, during which the wine evolves on its own sediments. At the end of this period, the bottles are placed in the traditional “pupitres”, or riddling racks, in temperature-controlled cellars, where they stay for about 3 weeks. After the “dègorgement”, or disgorgement, the bottles rest for another 3 months. The color is clear and scintillating and on the palate the flavor is rounded and expresses hints of bread crust.


In 1905 Marquis Niccolò Antinori started producing the spumante “Nature”, which in 1995 celebrated its 90th birthday. In order to highlight the experience and skill attained by Marchesi Antinori in this difficult and very special type of wine-production, a small amount of cuvèe was created using an extremely careful selection of the best grapes available, which were then blended in a very particular manner.

The name that was given to this celebratory selection is Donna Cora, named after Donna Cora of the Antinori family, a lady with an effervescent personality who lived at the beginning of the 1900’s. This special production was repeated in 2005, for the 100-year anniversary of the creation of “Bubbles” in the house of Antinori. The Donna Cora Spumante remains in a temperature-controlled wine cellar for 48 months to complete the evolution of its flavor. After the disgorgement, the bottles are left for another 3 months. The wine shows off an intense yellow color, with a very refined and dense perlage (beading). It’s fragrance contains notes of bread crust and vanilla, with aromas of mature fruit.

The Antinori family produced its first sparkling wine in 1905. Ludovico and Piero Antinori, having just returned from a trip to France to the famous Champagne vineyards in the district of Marna, invited Monsieur Lucien Charlemagne, a renowned producer from Epernay, to come to Italy to prepare their wine cellars in San Casciano for the production of spumante, or sparkling wine, using the “metodo classico”, or “méthode champenois”: i.e. the way champagne is traditionally made in the Champagne region of France. The passion for the ancient art of vinification did not delay in giving excellent results. In 1914 Giacomo Puccini wrote to his friend Piero Antinori requesting some news on the “Great Spumante”, while in 1922 Duke Caetani, ambassador of Italy to the United States, asked Piero and Ludovico to “bring good supplies to this country so dry with thirst…”


And after them, there were many others: the King of Italy, Stravinsky, Gustav of Sweden, and Churchill; the latter famous for his passion for the “bubbly”.


Even today, Marchesi Antinori continues to produce sparkling wines of the highest quality, selecting the best Chardonnay and Pinot grapes, from the zones of the Oltrepò Pavese and Trentino, respectively. These grapes result in the Marchese Antinori Nature and the Donna Cora.