CANTINE CECI
antine Ceci was founded by Otello Ceci, a tavern keeper in what is know as the "bassa parmense," a stretch of low-lying land that runs from the Via Emilia — the historic road that traverses downtown Parma — to the Po River to the north of the city.
From the outset, the winery has been a leader and visionary in the world of Italian wine.
It all began in 1938 in Otello's trattoria, where guests enjoyed the best tripe in Parma province and where he sold the Lambrusco that he made from grapes he would buy from local farmers.
His sons Giovanni and Bruno were still children. But they already knew how excited their father would become when it was time to press the grapes during the harvest.
It didn't take long before they closed their restaurant, launched Cantine Ceci, and set out on their adventure in the world of wine.
It was the beginning of a tradition that would evolve over the years as the Ceci brothers discovered their love for grape growing, for wine, and for those poetic bubbling casks that inspired and shaped their goals and aspirations.
Today, it's Otello's grandchildren who run the family business: Alessandro, Maria Teresa, Maria Paola, Elisa, and Chiara. They represent the new spirit of the winery as they continue to build on their family's past achievements. Their hope is to create an even richer winemaking tradition for the generations that will follow.
Their goal is that of allowing the appellation to express everything that this land has to give. They aim for top quality with the products that they put out into the market. The constantly reach for innovation in their products, whether in the flavor profile or in the packaging. And they sell their sparkling wines and their flagship Otello NeroDiLambrusco in a square-shaped bottle, an entirely new and unique way to present the wines.
The rapid expansion of the winery began in the 1990s with the launch of its Lambrusco Terre Verdiane, a wine that created renewed interest in the grape variety.
All of this and the deep local roots of the Ceci family keep Cantine Ceci closely connected to the appellation. This relationship allows the Ceci family members not to be afraid when it comes to expanding their business. They work together every day knowing that they believe in their values and that not one of them would live or work anywhere else.