Tenuta La Pergola
There is a romantic, yet misguided myth among Americans that one can sit down in any roadside trattoria in Italy and be served a delicious glass of wine. However, this idealistic notion is sadly at odds with the hard reality: it is rare enough for the vino della casa to be drinkable, let alone anything truly noteworthy.
And yet, this most infrequent occurrence—the wine importer's dream—is exactly what fate would have in store for Kermit and Dixon one day as they trekked the back roads of Piemonte several years ago. The wine in the pitcher—an Arneis from a local producer—was not only drinkable, but it was really quite good: refreshing, balanced, typical of the grape and of the region, and an ideal companion to the antipasti of the day. Oh, and it was cheap.
That pitcher of Arneis led them to the cellars of Tenuta La Pergola, in the town of Cisterna d'Asti. Alessandra Bodda now runs the estate her great-grandfather founded in 1903, farming thirty hectares of indigenous Piemontese varieties with the help of her son Emanuele, and daughter, Martina. The sandy and clay soils of the Roero and Monferrato, where their vineyards are situated, give softer wines than the marl-dominated terroirs of the neighboring Langhe, creating aromatic wines that bestow immediate pleasure.
Tasting this superb raw material sparked an idea, and with the 2009 vintage the first “Monferrato Rosso – Selected by Kermit Lynch” was born using a blend of the region's red varieties. Loaded with brambly berries, bright acidity, and soft, earthy tannins, the wine is a faithful representation of Piemontese reds at bargain cost: just what you would want in your carafe at a roadside trattoria, and the perfect weeknight red to gulp down at home.
While the aromatic Brachetto grape is typically used for Birbèt, a local red sparkling dessert wine, Alessandra and Emanuele also vinify it dry, creating the closest thing you'll taste to liquid rose petals and wild strawberries. Seductive, supple, and marvelously perfumed, “Il Goccetto” showcases the unadulterated pleasure achievable in Piemonte.
La Pergola's wines may be the best values the region has to offer, providing crowd-pleasing delight and versatility at table. Kermit says they remind him of the Piemontese wines of old: simple, affordable, and totally satisfying!

And yet, this most infrequent occurrence—the wine importer's dream—is exactly what fate would have in store for Kermit and Dixon one day as they trekked the back roads of Piemonte several years ago. The wine in the pitcher—an Arneis from a local producer—was not only drinkable, but it was really quite good: refreshing, balanced, typical of the grape and of the region, and an ideal companion to the antipasti of the day. Oh, and it was cheap.
That pitcher of Arneis led them to the cellars of Tenuta La Pergola, in the town of Cisterna d'Asti. Alessandra Bodda now runs the estate her great-grandfather founded in 1903, farming thirty hectares of indigenous Piemontese varieties with the help of her son Emanuele, and daughter, Martina. The sandy and clay soils of the Roero and Monferrato, where their vineyards are situated, give softer wines than the marl-dominated terroirs of the neighboring Langhe, creating aromatic wines that bestow immediate pleasure.
Tasting this superb raw material sparked an idea, and with the 2009 vintage the first “Monferrato Rosso – Selected by Kermit Lynch” was born using a blend of the region's red varieties. Loaded with brambly berries, bright acidity, and soft, earthy tannins, the wine is a faithful representation of Piemontese reds at bargain cost: just what you would want in your carafe at a roadside trattoria, and the perfect weeknight red to gulp down at home. While the aromatic Brachetto grape is typically used for Birbèt, a local red sparkling dessert wine, Alessandra and Emanuele also vinify it dry, creating the closest thing you'll taste to liquid rose petals and wild strawberries. Seductive, supple, and marvelously perfumed, “Il Goccetto” showcases the unadulterated pleasure achievable in Piemonte. La Pergola's wines may be the best values the region has to offer, providing crowd-pleasing delight and versatility at table. Kermit says they remind him of the Piemontese wines of old: simple, affordable, and totally satisfying!
Technical Information
Wine | Blend | Vine Age | Soil Type | Vineyard Area* |
---|---|---|---|---|
Monferrato Rosso |
Varies: Barbera, Dolcetto, Bonarda, Freisa, Croatina | 25 years average | Sand, Limestone | 1.6 ha |
Vino Rosso “Il Goccetto” |
Varies: Croatina, Brachetto, Freisa | Planted in 1990 | Clay, Chalk | 6.5 ha |
Roero Arneis |
Arneis | Planted in 1995 | Sand | 4 ha |
Cisterna d’Asti Superiore |
Croatina | 20 Years | Clay, Sand | 2 ha |
Vino Rosso “Birbet” |
Brachetto | 15 years | Sand, Limestone | 2.5 ha |
* "ha" = hectares; one hectare equals roughly two and a half acres |
VITICULTURE / VINIFICATION
• Blends vary by vintage
• All grapes are hand-harvested
• All wines are fermented in stainless steel tank
• Grapes for red wines are 100% destemmed
• 2017 blend: 90% Barbera, 10% Bonarda
• 2018 blend: 55% Barbera, 30% Bonarda, 10% Dolcetto, 5% Freisa
• 2019 blend: 55% Barbera, 20% Dolcetto, 12.5% Bonarda, 10% Freisa, 2.5% Croatina
• 2020 blend: 80% Barbera, 10% Dolcetto, 7% Bonarda, 3% Freisa
• 2021 blend: 50% Barbera,18% Dolcetto, 17.5% Bonarda, 11% Freisa, 3.5% Croatina
• Aged in stainless steel for 6 months
• Labeled Vino Rosso because aromatic varieties including Brachetto are not permitted in Monferrato DOC blends
• “Il Goccetto” translates to “A little nip”
• 2016 blend: 100% Brachetto
• 2017 blend: 95% Brachetto, 5% Barbera
• 2018 blend: 64% Brachetto, 32% Barbera, 4% Bonarda
• 2019 blend: 80% Brachetto, 17.5% Barbera, 2.5% Bonarda
• 2020 blend: 75% Brachetto, 20% Barbera, 5% Freisa
• 2021 blend: 80% Brachetto, 20% Barbera
• Aged in stainless steel on lees for 3 months
• Minimum 80% Croatina required for this small DOC based in the town of Cisterna d’Asti
• Wines must age for at least 10 months and reach at least 12% alcohol to qualify for “Superiore” mention
Vino Rosso “Birbèt” • A frizzante dessert wine
• Fermented in stainless steel tank
• Fermentation is stopped with cold when alcohol reaches around 7-7.5%
• No secondary fermentation; CO2 produced during primary fermentation
• Approximately 100 g/L residual sugar
• All grapes are hand-harvested
• All wines are fermented in stainless steel tank
• Grapes for red wines are 100% destemmed
Monferrato Rosso
• Aged in stainless steel for 10 months
• 2016 blend: 60% Barbera, 25% Bonarda, 10% Dolcetto, 5% Croatina• 2017 blend: 90% Barbera, 10% Bonarda
• 2018 blend: 55% Barbera, 30% Bonarda, 10% Dolcetto, 5% Freisa
• 2019 blend: 55% Barbera, 20% Dolcetto, 12.5% Bonarda, 10% Freisa, 2.5% Croatina
• 2020 blend: 80% Barbera, 10% Dolcetto, 7% Bonarda, 3% Freisa
• 2021 blend: 50% Barbera,18% Dolcetto, 17.5% Bonarda, 11% Freisa, 3.5% Croatina
Vino Rosso “Il Goccetto”
• Maceration lasts four days• Aged in stainless steel for 6 months
• Labeled Vino Rosso because aromatic varieties including Brachetto are not permitted in Monferrato DOC blends
• “Il Goccetto” translates to “A little nip”
• 2016 blend: 100% Brachetto
• 2017 blend: 95% Brachetto, 5% Barbera
• 2018 blend: 64% Brachetto, 32% Barbera, 4% Bonarda
• 2019 blend: 80% Brachetto, 17.5% Barbera, 2.5% Bonarda
• 2020 blend: 75% Brachetto, 20% Barbera, 5% Freisa
• 2021 blend: 80% Brachetto, 20% Barbera
Roero Arneis
• No malolactic fermentation• Aged in stainless steel on lees for 3 months
Cisterna d’Asti Superiore
• Minimum 80% Croatina required for this small DOC based in the town of Cisterna d’Asti
• Wines must age for at least 10 months and reach at least 12% alcohol to qualify for “Superiore” mention
Vino Rosso “Birbèt” • A frizzante dessert wine
• Fermented in stainless steel tank
• Fermentation is stopped with cold when alcohol reaches around 7-7.5%
• No secondary fermentation; CO2 produced during primary fermentation
• Approximately 100 g/L residual sugar
General Information
- Country
- Italy
- Region
- Piedmont
- Appellation(s)
- Monferrato, Roero, Cisterna d'Asti
- Producer
- Alessandra Bodda & family
- Founded
- 1903
- Farming
- Sustainable
- Website
- https://www.tenutalapergola.it