Rethinking Barbera through the old vine lens
Birds eye view of Vinchio and Vaglio Serra.
Italian wine expert and Consultant to The Old Vine Conference, Cynthia Chaplin, helped host our fieldtrip ‘Rethinking Barbera through the old vine lens’ held at Vinchio Vaglio in Piedmont in November 2023. Here Cynthia recounts what we learned and experienced on the trip and explains the visionary work that Vinchio Vaglio have been undertaking for years to preserve, protect and make their viticultural heritage commercially viable.
The Old Vine Conference took to the vineyards once again in November 2023 to visit Vinchio Vaglio in the gorgeous rolling hills of Monferrato in Piemonte, Italy. The 3 day trip gave a select group of journalists and educators the opportunity to learn about the old vines held in trust by the collective group of 200 family vine growers that form the Vinchio Vaglio group.
Overcoming an ancient rivalry between the two towns of Vinchio and Vaglio Serra, the cooperative was founded in 1959 and has striven to protect and preserve Barbera vines ever since.
The field trip took place in the vineyards, the cellars and the conference room, providing a 360° perspective for the participants. President of Vinchio Vaglio, Lorenzo Giordano, spoke eloquently and emotionally about the movement to protect the quality of the old vine vineyards, which found its momentum in the early 1980’s.
It was my pleasure to translate Giordano’s moving words for the group and I was humbled by his passion for the vines he has spent his life with. Remarkably, he recounted that the first vintage of Vecchie Vigne, produced in 1987, went against the Barbera commission’s goals of high volume, lower quality wines to such an extent that the commission ultimately reclassified it as Red Table Wine, outside the DOC of the area. The next three days revealed the incredible progress Vinchio Vaglio has overseen since then.
Cynthia Chaplin translates for the group of guests.
On day two we travelled through the chilly autumn air to the most prestigious old vine site. Standing in the sun dappled vineyard, Giordano discussed the unique micro-climate and the sandy soil essential for Barbera to flourish. He explained there are now 200 members in the Cooperative who are incentivised to follow the bio-organic methods being used in the vineyards they manage, using legume cover crops and limiting yield to produce wines of much higher quality and complexity.
Since the founding of Vincho Vaglio, the group has triumphed over many challenges, including successfully lobbying hard to create a 500 hectare nature preserve to prevent the development of an industrial landfill project in the midst of the vineyards.
Currently the old vine vineyards are restricted by Vinchio Vaglio to no more than 60 quintals of grapes per vintage and dating has proven the vines are a minimum of 80 years old. Massal selection is now being conducted to preserve and recreate the DNA of the old vines. In 2014 the hills were recognised as an UNESCO Heritage site and in 2020 one of Giordano’s childhood dreams was realised with the creation of the Path of the Nests, a nature trail winding through the woodlands, up and down the hills, with beautifully constructed nest-like stopping points for visitors to appreciate the Piemonte landscape from special vantage points where picnics, musical events and tranquil moments are fostered by the Cooperative.
The rolling hills of old vine Barbera.
The conference portion of the trip included lectures and tastings with Gambero Rosso Editor Gianni Fabrizio, Vinchio Vaglio President Lorenzo Giordano and enologists Giuseppe Rattazzo and Matteo Laiolo, and our own Sarah Abbott MW. Conference attendees tasted Barbera wines from across the 500 hectares of vineyards controlled by Vinchio Vaglio and learned of the other native grapes allowed in the blends: Grignolino, Freisa and Bonarda. Giordano emphasised the philosophy of Vinchio Vaglio: “tradition in the vineyard, innovation in the cellar.”
Eight wines were tasted, allowing participants to see for themselves the true versatility of Barbera. The wines ranged in style from fresh, acidic and fruity wines matured in steel and cement to dense, rich, spicy wines with precise acidic spines and silky tannins, vinified and matured in various sizes and ages of wood vessels..
Vincenzo Gerbi, known as the “Barbera Master,” from the University of Turin presented a fascinating lecture on the scientific composition of Barbera grapes and included important facts surrounding its growth in Piemonte. There are 10,000 hectares of Barbera currently grown in the region. Gerbi explained that the concentration of malic and tartaric acids are dependent upon
yield and age of the vine, while high polyphenols give the wine its deep colour and low levels of anthocyanins limit the tannin. Understanding these and other elements of the grapes’ composition ultimately improves the quality of the wines produced.
Sarah Abbott MW, co-founder of The Old Vine Conference presents an old-vine wine masterclass to fieldtrip guests.
Sarah Abbott MW led a tasting of wines from heritage vineyards across Italy. Ten wines were tasted including a Soave from Veneto, a Frascati from Lazio, a Brunello di Montalcino from Tuscany and three Etna Rosso wines from Sicily. The tasting put the spotlight on The Old Vine Conference ethos that “agriculture is a form of culture.”
Abbott drew attention to the energy encapsulated in old vines and the talent and innovation they attract. She explained that genetic material is enormously important and diversity is resilience. The key point of the address was the fact that economic and social value are rooted in vine culture and could be lost unless we continue to bring producers together, give them a public voice and create a tangible, defined and valuable category for old vine wines.
Throughout the trip, we were treated to typical Piemontese meals in excellent local restaurants such as Locanda del Bosco Grande in Montegrosso d’Asti, Osterial Moderna Terzo Tempo and Piazza Crova 3 where an incredible truffle feast followed the morning’s truffle hunt with a bona fide truffle hunter and his talented and endearing young dog. Restaurant visits allowed the group to taste other wines of the region, such as Alta Langa traditional method sparkling, Roero Arneis, Brachetto sweet sparkling red and Langhe Nebbiolo. The thread of Barbera wines ran through each meal, keeping everyone focused on Vinchio Vaglio’s hard work and dedication, recently confirmed by the achievement of Equalitas certification, demonstrating their commitment to sustainability.
The brief three days in Piemonte truly afforded The Old Vine Conference group an unforgettable opportunity to discover the value and magic of old vine Barbera, as well as experience some of the rich culture and tradition of this multi-faceted region in Italy’s northwest .
Written by: Cynthia Chaplin
We are indebted to Vinchio Vaglio for their visionary work, generous hospitality and willingness to share their experience and knowledge of old vine Barbera with us.
> Watch videos of the fieldtrip to Piedmont on our Youtube channel.
> Listen to The Old Vine Conference podcast epsiode 1 for the interview with Tessa Donnadieu, export manager at Vincio Vaglio.
> And follow for all the latest news:
@vinchiovaglio