Son of a Lesser God: Sparkling Wine From Almost Unknown Grape Puls From Albania

Nestled on the sun-drenched slopes near the ancient town of Berat in southern Albania, the family-run estate of the Çobo family has quietly been writing a new chapter in Albanian viticulture. With roots stretching back almost a century, the family estate is now turning rare heritage grapes into wines of precision, elegance and identity. The true highlight of their portfolio is a sparkling wine crafted from the indigenous grape variety Puls – a variety once on the brink of extinction and now restored to proud expression in the bottle.

The Çobo family story begins in the early decades of the twentieth century, when vineyards around Berat were tended generationally. Under the communist regime, private vine-growing and winemaking were suppressed, and it was only after the ’90s that the family reasserted their winemaking tradition. The family mission is clearly articulated on their website: preserving land, history and identity through wine.

One of the most remarkable elements of their work is the recovery and valorisation of the rare white grape Puls. Indigenous to the Berat area, Puls had almost disappeared, owing to its small yields and difficulty in cultivation. The Çobo estate rescued this variety, planted terraced vineyards and now uses it not only for still wines but also to produce a classical method sparkling wine that embodies both tradition and contemporary finesse.

The wine in question is the sparkling label known as Shëndevërë – a name derived from the Albanian words shëndet (health) and verë (wine), evoking a state of joyful vitality. This sparkling wine is made entirely from Puls grapes. The base wine is fermented in stainless steel, then undergoes secondary fermentation in the bottle (traditional method) and ages on the lees for approximately 36 to 40 months before disgorgement, with no dosage added.

On the nose, it opens with delicate orchard fruit hints—apricot among them—then citrus and floral notes arrive, fine bubbles sparkle in the glass, fresh acidity and a subtle minerality complete the profile. The colour is luminous straw-yellow, the style precise yet expressive.

What makes this wine especially compelling is the combination of the extremely rare variety, the elevation and vineyard aspect in the Berat region (often terraced, with influences of the Adriatic breezes and mountain altitudes) and the classical technique of bottle-fermented bubbles. It stands as a counter-narrative to the many wineries chasing high-volume international varietals; here is a producer investing in heritage, terroir and authenticity. The result invites sommeliers and wine-enthusiasts in Italy, the UK and beyond to consider Albania not just as an emerging region but one with its own compelling voice and story.

Photo Credit belongs to Olga Sofia Schiaffino; Glass of Bubbly was granted permission to use the image.