From the osteria on the Piave to Prosecco pioneer
The story of Canella begins in 1947 at the Osteria Forte in San Donà di Piave, a small tavern run by Giovanna Canella. Her son Luciano was tasked with procuring wine for the guests – and because the selection was thin at the time, he simply filled used sparkling wine bottles with wine he had fortified and slightly sweetened himself. The light, sparkling wines were an immediate hit, first in his mother's osteria, soon in bars and restaurants throughout the lagoon region. In 1952, artisanal production was no longer enough: Luciano built the first own cantina in San Donà di Piave. In the 1960s, he recognized the potential of Prosecco earlier than most – at that time barely known compared to heavy red and white wines – and created the company logo that is still iconic today, in which the "C" of the family name becomes a waiter with a tray. In 1994, the Canella Prosecco won the Gran Medaglia d'Oro at the Concorso Enologico of Vinitaly. Since 2021, the brand has held the title "Marchio storico di interesse nazionale" – a state-recognized historical trademark of Italy.
Own peach orchard, no additives, patented process
Anyone looking behind the scenes at Canella understands why the Bellini is not an industrially mixed drink. Luciano Canella decided to plant his own peach orchard right next to the cantina in San Donà di Piave for a recipe that is as authentic as possible. The Maria Bianca variety – the classic Venetian white peach variety – grows there on around four hectares and today provides around 40 percent of the fruit content for the Bellini. The harvest is done by hand and only at optimal ripeness to ensure maximum sugar concentration and aroma. Canella works without artificial colors, flavors, or preservatives and is IFS-certified. For the foaming, the house uses a specially patented natural sparkling process that dispenses with forced carbonation. Canella sources the Prosecco portion from selected sites in the Marca Trevigiana as well as the hills of Conegliano and Valdobbiadene. Today, Luciano's children Alessandra, Lorenzo, Nicoletta, and Monica run the company; with Tommaso Canella, the third generation is already actively working in the business.
Prosecco DOC and the Bellini family: the Venetian aperitivo in a bottle
The core range of Canella revolves around two axes: Prosecco and fruit-based aperitivi. The Canella Prosecco Conegliano DOC Millesimato Spumante matures according to the Charmat method, showing a straw-yellow color with fine, persistent perlage and a characteristically fruity bouquet. From 1988, Canella was one of the first producers ever to bring a bottled Bellini to the market: two parts Prosecco Brut, one part juice and pulp of the white Maria Bianca peaches, refined with a few drops of wild raspberry. Since 2001, the bottle has officially carried the trademark of the city of Venice. From the year 2000, further variants of the aperitivo line followed: the Mimosa with blood orange, the Rossini with strawberries from the southern Italian Candonga consortium, and the Puccini with mandarins from the Sicilian Ciaculli consortium. Those who prefer the aperitivo alcohol-free will find a version without Prosecco in the Bellini Zero. All products stand for the same claim: to bring fruit and sparkling wine together in such a way that no additive is necessary – only the raw material itself.
