Legend has it that the first bottle of Maximilian I was produced by the winemakers of Kloster Kellerei, the venerable producer based in Lana, near Bolzano, and that the grapes were actually grown in vineyards belonging to Hapsburg Emperor Maximilian.
Hence the name Maximilian I, made in his honour.
Maximilian I has always been a superb Italian sparkling wine, but it was in the 1980s that it achieved its immense popularity, thanks to amusingly irreverent TV commercials and to newspaper adverts keyed to classic tastes.
All styles of Maximilian I are made at Cantina di Soave, with its vertical vineyards-to-bottle integration. Thanks to the success of this sparkling wine, Cantina di Soave, which has owned the Maximilian I brand for decades, ranks among Italy’s top ten sparkling wine producers.