Bello Winery, Perlat: Carmenere Grown Two Kilometers From the Sea
Perlat, near Durrës
Jorgli Bello spent 20 years working in wineries in Tuscany. When his parents grew older and needed him, he moved back to Albania to look after them, and he started making wine again in his garage.
His wife and children stayed in Italy, where his daughter is studying to become a doctor. It was a hard decision, and the family made it together.
The winery sits on a hill in Perlat, about two kilometers from the sea near Durrës. Jorgli ferments with the Ganimede method, an Italian technique that draws color and aroma out of the grapes gently, and as far as we know he is the only winemaker in Albania who uses it. For his Carmenere, he lets 30 percent of the grapes dry on the vine before harvest. It smells of roses, violets, and wild blackberries, it won gold at the Balkans International Wine Competition in 2021 and 2022, and the Italian wine magazine Corriere del Vino scored it 88 out of 100. His Lunatic Cabernet Sauvignon is aged in cherry wood barrels, an unusual choice that gives it a soft spice.
His wines are often poured at ambassadors' dinners.
At a Glance
Perlat, near Durrës · Winemaker Jorgli Bello · Carmenere, Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Shesh i Bardhë · With Me Zemër since 2022
Where to Start
The Carmenere 2021, our customers' favorite red, or the Lunatic Cabernet Sauvignon for something no one else makes.