There are records of wines being made at Lessona in the Vercelli hills in Piedmont as far back as the 12th century. The Sella family in Lessona have made DOC Lessona wine since the 17th century and it is reputed to be the wine with which Quintino Sella, in preference to Champagne, offered the first toast to the new government of a united Italy a month after the kingdom's troops broke through the walls of Rome at the Porta Pia. It is made from Nebbiolo (Spanna) grapes, though Vespolina and Bonardo varieties can be added, not to exceed 25%. It is now a rare wine.
