Samodia

Samodia is a collaborative winemaking project founded by Jacopo Stigliano and Flavio Restani, both born and reared where their project is based, Valsamoggia, a valley in the foothills of the Apennines in Emilia-Romagna. Samodia is the old Latin name for the valley, a historical reference that tells the story of what these inspired friends aim to achieve through their work. Existing at the frontier between Bologna and Modena, the valley is a melting pot for the viticultural traditions of the wider region, preserving in its vineyards a tether to Valsamoggia’s viticultural past. Taking inspiration from the old masters of the region, Antonio Ognibene, Giorgio Erioli and Vittorio Graziano, Samodia represents a passing of the baton of sorts, carrying the gestures developed over millennia in both the vineyards and the cellar, forward into the next generation. The first vintage for Samodia was in 2023, when the pair rented three hectares of vines at the top of the valley, between 400 to 500 masl, on the limestone and clay soils that predominate here.

Their idea is to produce three wines each year, a red, white and sparkling. In this approach they oppose the commodification of wine and the faddish forces that shape contemporary wine discourse. They make vino per tutti, made the old way, using the old techniques inherited from the generations gone by. With many of these old vineyards being uprooted and replanted with tillage, or simply abandoned, their work is vital to the preservation of this valley's identity in the face of encroaching homogenisation and urbanity. Producing just 13,000 to 20,000 bottles a year, these are among the most rewarding wines we've tasted in recent years. They are wines for any occasion, as intended.