Let's talk little, let's talk wine
The Vite Colte - Barbera d'Asti Superiore La Luna e i Falò cuvée is born in the Monferrato of Asti, in south-eastern Piedmont, on hills made famous by the writer Cesare Pavese. More than sixty hectares of vines, selected for their slightly different terroirs and microclimates, are farmed at low yields. The continental climate, with hot summers and bright autumns, allows Barbera to reach full ripeness while preserving its natural acidity.
The blend of grapes from complementary plots offers a fine balance between structure and perfume. Vinification is traditional, with a maceration of around ten days at 28-30 °C, followed by malolactic fermentation. The wine is then aged for around twelve months in barrels, some of them new, a period during which this robustly structured Barbera gains substance and evolves into a complex, elegant wine.
This wine reveals notes of violet, blackberry, blueberry, raspberry, black cherry, liquorice, vanilla and coffee. The rich, complex bouquet combines flowers, forest fruits and oaky touches. The very fresh palate unfolds persistent flavours of forest fruits, vanilla and coffee, through to a long, persistent finish.
Where are we traveling?
Monferrato
It is located in southern Piedmont, in northwest Italy, stretching between the banks of the Po to the north and the first foothills of the Ligurian Apennines to the south, an hour's drive southeast of Turin. The vineyard unfolds over an enchanting landscape of gentle, rolling hills, a UNESCO World Heritage site since 2014, between 150 and 500 meters above sea level, dotted with perched medieval villages, crenelated castles, and Romanesque churches that bear witness to a thousand-year history. Viticulture has been attested there since Roman antiquity, but it was in the Middle Ages that the great noble Piedmontese families — the Gonzagas, the Palaiologos, the Savoys — structured the vineyard around their strongholds, making wine an economic and cultural pillar of the region. Long overshadowed by its illustrious neighbors Barolo and Barbaresco, Monferrato experienced a spectacular renaissance starting in the 1980s, when a generation of passionate winemakers rediscovered the potential of its indigenous grape varieties and its hilly terroirs, until then dedicated to peasant and confidential viticulture. The climate is temperate continental, characterized by hot and dry summers, misty autumns conducive to late harvests, and harsh winters, with a Mediterranean influence that rises through the Ligurian valleys and brings an unexpected mildness for such a northern latitude. The soils alternate between calcareous marls, clays, tuffs, and sands of marine origin, remnants of an ancient sea that covered the Po plain millions of years ago. Monferrato has established itself as a treasure of Piedmontese diversity thanks to its generous and juicy Barbera, its delicate and peppery Grignolino, its fragrant and slightly sparkling Freisa, its spicy and captivating Ruché — a very rare grape variety of which Castagnole Monferrato is the exclusive stronghold — and its sparkling and golden Moscato d'Asti, offering a range of wines of a variety and authenticity that few regions in the world can match.
The little history of the country
Italy
Ah, Italy, what a beautiful, hedonistic country, the land of la dolce vita, but how difficult it is to understand its wine industry! The key to understanding the appellation system in Italy is to think of it as several small countries rather than a single homogeneous nation, as each region has its own appellation system. Italy can offer wine lovers a multitude of wines with varied and unique flavors and styles, bottles brimming with surprise and creativity. Unfortunately, it also produces a large quantity of soulless, characterless wines sold under their most commercially useful and prestigious name: Pinot Grigio, Chianti, Valpolicella, Lambrusco, Prosecco, and many others... But let's talk a little history. Viticulture in Italy dates back to antiquity and originated in Greece. The Etruscans are said to have introduced the vine, and Greek immigrants improved and modified the grape varieties, subsequently calling the country "Oenotria": the land of wine. At the height of the Roman Empire, wine held an important place in daily life, and certain regions already distinguished themselves by the excellence of their product. The Romans also established numerous vineyards in Europe, leaving an indelible mark of their conquest. Today, Italy is the world's largest wine producer, ahead of France. Italy is divided into three climatic zones. The northern mountains have a rather harsh mountain climate. The plains of the "central boot" are characterized by a continental climate with cold winters and hot, stormy summers. In the southern part of the Italian boot, the Mediterranean climate prevails, with very hot and dry summers, not forgetting the islands of Sicily and Sardinia. In short, Italy produces a wide variety of wines thanks to its 200 different grape varieties, many of which originated in its own lands. It is a country as complex as its wines, which deserve to be explored!