Based in the town of Borgomanero in Alto Piemonte, Ivano Barbaglia and Paola Fornara are making timeless wines in one of the smallest wine region of Italy, Boca, where due to urbanization during the twentieth century, the hectares of vineyards have fallen drastically from one thousand to ten.
Ivano was forced to rethink his life following serious health problems a few years ago, and together with Paola he started this small winery in 2012.
They contributed to the rebirth of an historic vineyard in Boca, included in the Monte Fenera Natural Park, between four and five hundred meters above the sea level. Here, centenary vines of Nebbiolo, Vespolina, Uva Rara, Croatina and other local varieties are planted on igneous porphyry, basalts and sands. These particular soils are highly acidic and low in calcium, conditions that have helped prevent the spread of the phylloxera.
Paola regularly look after the vines, most of which are trained with an ancient trellising system, Maggiorina, where three or four vines are planted in the center of a two meters by two meters area and trained out to make form a crown around the vines. A method perfected in the 19th century by the architect Alessandro Antonelli, designer of the famous "Mole Antonelliana" in Torino.
Ivano takes care of the winemaking process, using stainless steel vats for the fermentation, always carried out with indigenous yeasts and no temperature control.
The cellar, home of a couple of big barrels and three tonneaux, is a small room in the house basement.
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