Bissoni Sangiovese

Bissoni, Sangiovese with a feminine soul.

Being selected by Bottura and served at prestigious diplomatic dinners in Washington isn’t something that happens to just anyone—and it certainly isn’t by chance. Such remarkable achievements are even more extraordinary when they come from a humble, often underestimated grape like Sangiovese, and when behind the bottle is the hand of a woman. The world of viticulture has long been dominated by men, for a simple reason: the physical demands of managing vineyards. Yet, thirty years ago, Raffaella Bissoni was one of the first women to break this cultural barrier in Italy.

From the stunning hill of Casticciano—a natural balcony overlooking the Adriatic Sea near the medieval village of Bertinoro—you’ll spot the orderly rows of vines at Cantina Bissoni: 11 hectares, 5 of which are planted with vines at about 200 meters above sea level.

Since the times of the Roman Empire and Emperor Theodosius, in the heart of Romagna, Raffaella has continued a tradition by cultivating only the two native grape varieties of the region: Sangiovese and Albana (with an annual production of 30,000 bottles). Thanks to a unique terroir—the Bertinoro hills are rich in *Spungone*, a marine-origin tuff—her wines have earned numerous international accolades for their refinement and elegance. These Spungone layers contain minerals ideal for vine cultivation, adding complexity and minerality to the wines. Raffaella brings to her daily work a mindful and gracious approach to life, often at odds with the industrialization and mechanization that have nearly taken over the wine industry.

Even during times of economic crisis, Raffaella remained committed to the pursuit of the highest quality, achieved through low yields—an average of 70 quintals per hectare—and hand-harvested grapes. Her fully eco-compatible process earned organic certification in 2016 from the renowned independent body CCPB. She is a winemaker who follows the rhythms and needs of the land, often at the expense of higher production and revenue. Her vineyard rows are never treated with herbicides, and the grass is rarely cut, allowing a natural ecosystem of wild plants to thrive. This enriches the soil beneath the vines and amplifies the wines’ sensory notes.

From the fresh, fruity **Girapoggio**, to the more mature **Bissoni Riserva**, and finally to the special reserve **Vigna Colecchio**, aged in French barriques—each expression of Sangiovese reveals the grape’s charm and earns acclaim, such as the gold medal at the 2013 Concours Mondial de Bruxelles, awarded to her 2008 Sangiovese Superiore Riserva.

Raffaella is a successful winemaker who has made respect for the vineyard her way of life. Through a grape as simple and approachable as Sangiovese—never dull or predictable in her hands—she’s brought elegance and precision to the tables of some of the world’s finest restaurants. All thanks to the meticulous, feminine care that shapes every detail of her production process.