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Technical Information

Wine Blend Vine Age Soil Type Vineyard Area*
Barbera del Monferrato Superiore “Perlydia”
Barbera Planted in 2000 Clay, Limestone 1.5 ha
Barbera del Monferrato Superiore “Valpane”
85% Barbera, 15% Freisa Planted in 1980, 2000 Clay, Limestone 1.5 ha
Barbera del Monferrato “Rosso Pietro”
Barbera Planted in 2000, 2005 Clay, Limestone 4 ha
Grignolino del Monferrato Casalese “Euli”
Grignolino Planted in 2005 Clay, Limestone 2 ha
Monferrato Freisa “Canone Inverso”
Freisa Planted in 2000 Clay, Limestone 1 ha
Vino Rosso “Rosa Ruske”
Moscatellina 2/3 planted 1970, 1/3 planted 2005 Clay, Limestone 1 ha
* "ha" = hectares; one hectare equals roughly two and a half acres

VITICULTURE / VINIFICATION

• Vines are sustainably farmed, the equivalent of lutte raisonnée in France.

• No fining or filtration

• All indigenous yeasts

• Length of élevage and bottling aging before release are adjusted according to the needs of each unique vintage

Barbera del Monferrato “Rosso Pietro”:

• Fermentation takes place in cement tanks and lasts 21-23 days
• Aged 10-12 months in stainless steel and cement tanks before bottling
• Aged 3 months in bottle before release

Barbera del Monferrato Superiore “Perlydia”:

• Fermentation takes place in stainless steel and cement tanks and lasts 21-23 days
• Aged 2-5 years in stainless steel and cement tanks before bottling
• Aged one year in bottle before release
• “Perlydia” = for Lydia, Pietro’s aunt who ran the estate before him

Barbera del Monferrato Superiore “Valpane”:

• The Barbera and Freisa are vinified separately
• Barbera is vinified in 30 HL wood fermenter
• Barbera aged for one year in same wood casks
• Barbera for 12-18 months in 225L barriques and 500L tonneaux
• Freisa is vinified and aged in stainless steel, then blended in before bottling
• Wine ages 4-6 years in bottle before release

Grignolino del Monferrato “Casalese Euli”
• Fermentation takes place in stainless steel tanks and lasts 21-23 days
• Aged 12-18 months in stainless steel and cement tanks before bottling
• Aged 6 months in bottle before release

Monferrato Freisa “Canone Inverso”
• Fermentation takes place in stainless steel tanks and lasts 21-23 days
• Aged 12-18 months in stainless steel and cement tanks before bottling
• Aged 6 months in bottle before release

Vino Rosso “Rosa Ruske”
• Fermentation takes place in cement tanks and lasts 23 days
• Aged in cement tanks from end of vinification until February 2013 (for 2011 vintage)

MISCELLANEA

Rosso Pietro:
This wine is simply called “red Pietro,” mainly because it is Pietro’s red wine but also referring to his red beard. (Today Pietro jokes that the name should be updated to “grey Pietro”!)

Euli:
The name “Euli” comes from the name of a Longobard tribe that once inhabited the area where the Grignolino vineyard is now. The tribe was called “Ueel Waigkika”, which in the contemporary German language was written Euli-iup-pina: euli = owl, pina = high/above, Iupi = Jove, so “the owl that is higher than Jove.”

There are now owls living in the rafters at Valpane, and the name is also a nod to them.

Canone Inverso:
A canon, simply stated, is a musical structure where different voices/instruments play the same melody at overlapping intervals (think “Row, Row, Row Your Boat”); an inverse canon is one in which the first voice sings/plays a line and the subsequent voice sings it backwards.

Most people see Freisa as a young-drinking, lively little wine. The name is therefore a play on words because his wine is the inverse of the canonical (= traditional, accepted) style.

Canone Inverso is also the name of a book by Paolo Maurensig that Pietro likes.

Cantine Valpane has a bed and breakfast. Click here for contact information.

General Information

Country
Italy
Region
Piedmont
Appellation(s)
Barbera del Monferrato, Barbera del Monferrato Superiore
Producer
Pietro Arditi
Founded
1899
Annual Production
3,500 cases
Farming
Sustainable
Website
http://www.cantinevalpane.com
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