Sambì was born seven years ago from the shared desire of brothers Gabriele and Martino Bianchi to revive an ancient recipe of their ancestors, known in Ticino as the 'champagne of the poor' or the 'gazüsin de sambüc'. Before presenting it to the public, the recipe for this original elderflower drink was revisited and adapted to today's drinking requirements by adding a fresh, contemporary twist. The result is a semi-dry alcoholic drink, lightly sweetened and enriched with a delicate citric note.
A few perfectly balanced ingredients - water, elderflower, sugar and lemon - come almost exclusively from the surrounding area. The flowers come from the more than 300 elderberry trees on the Bianchi family farm and, to a small extent, from the wild harvest in the Val Mara forests; the water, on the other hand, comes from the nearby Monte Generoso, at an altitude of 1,700 m. Drawing on the experience gained on the family farm and, in particular, their knowledge of winemaking, Gabriele and Martino have internalised the first production stages - infusion and first fermentation - while for the second fermentation and pasteurisation, they rely on a specialised external partner in order to ensure the product's durability and shelf life.
The two brothers recommend drinking Sambì on its own, straight from the bottle, or in combination with lemon, mint and a dash of elderflower syrup to further intensify its aromatic connotations. In recent years, still following the motto 'Think Global, Act Local', the two brothers have developed a reinterpretation of the all-Ticino spritz in which prosecco is replaced by Sambì. The link with the territory and its social and entrepreneurial fabric is in fact one of the pivotal points around which the entire project revolves, with so many players involved in the creation and diffusion of the drink, from the graphic studio and the typography that take care of the label to the many retailers, such as bars, lidos, restaurants and shops scattered throughout Ticino, French-speaking Switzerland and German-speaking Switzerland. In order to create a community of friends and loyal consumers, the two young entrepreneurs have launched a series of initiatives - Sambì Club, Sambì Experience and Sambì Bike - which aim to involve people from the worlds of sport, music and entertainment in recreational activities to discover the tastes and aromas of Sambì.
An honest and innovative entrepreneurial approach has resulted in a 0 km product that reflects the philosophy and values of the Bianchi company, certified organic and committed since 1998 to the sustainable production of wine, honey and derivatives with full respect for biodiversity. The grape varieties that the Bianchi family has been lovingly cultivating for decades are Johanitter and Solaris for the white wines, while the red wine and the sparkling rosé come from new vines of the Cabernet Sauvignon family. Since 2012, they have also been cultivating and vinifying Merlot, Syrah and Chardonnay, following the same organic ideal. One of the largest beekeepers in Ticino, Martino and Gabriele - who now run the company - carefully manage more than 500 beehives from which they produce different varieties of honey, such as chestnut, linden and Robinia.