FARA WINE
Going up along the Sesia River, Fara DOC is the first of the Novarese appellations to affect specific municipalities, in this case Briona and Fara Novarese. The territory of the denomination is found partly in morainic plateaus and partly on hilly slopes.
The viticulture of Fara develops on the eastern side of the Sesia valley, occupying a predominantly clayey plateau divided into two hilly strips. The soils are deeper in the upper part (the flat one) and more loose pebbles along the west-facing slopes.
Vines have been cultivated in Fara since the earliest times to make wine. Pliny the Elder
he already mentions it in the 1st century AD and other testimonies also derive from ancient winemakers' diaries.
There are two types of wine included in the Fara DOC, the Fara DOC and the Fara DOC Riserva. Their composition in terms of grape varieties is Nebbiolo (Spanna) from 50 to 70%; Vespolina and Uva Rara (Bonarda Novarese) alone or together from 30% to 50%. The minimum aging for the Fara DOC wine is 22 months, of which at least 12 in wood, while for the Riserva version it is 34 months of which at least 20 in wood.
SIZZANO WINE
Sizzano rises at the foot of twelve hills sloping down towards the Sesia river. The village is located along the road that leads to Valsesia, near Novara. The viticulture of Sizzano develops on the eastern side of the Sesia valley, a long hill that develops on a north-south axis, a predominantly clayey plateau divided into two hilly strips. The fame of Sizzano wine in modern times is due to the great Piedmontese statesman Camillo Benso count of Cavour, owner of vast land areas and farms, but the wine was already appreciated in the Renaissance period and considered of great quality.
VESPOLINA WINE
Vespolina is a black grape variety present above all in the Oltrepò Pavese area, which is located in the southernmost area of the province of Pavia, close to the first Apennine formations and consists of a varied succession of hills and valleys with altitudes between 100 and 500 meters above sea level. The name Vespolina, as in the case of vines with similar names (Vespaiola), derives from the fact that wasps are particularly attracted to the sweetness of its ripe berries at the time of harvest. Also known by the synonym of Ughetta, it was one of the most important grape varieties of the Oltrepò Pavese and cultivated here since the end of the 18th century, but it then lost its importance with the advent of phylloxera. It is also widespread in the provinces of Como, Novara (Ghemme, Gattinara) and Piacenza.
Traditionally, Vespolina is vinified in blends with other grapes, such as Barbera, Croatina, Uva Rara to which it brings a characteristic spicy note. The distinctive characters of Vespolina are the small pentagonal leaf, the fairly compact and elongated bunch, dark berry tending to black. It has good vigor and medium ripening times, with expanded, espalier training forms. Suffers from downy mildew, rot and botrytis. It loves fresh, light and not deep soils that allow it to ripen more easily. The wine obtained from Vespolina vinified in purity is characterized by a bright ruby color of medium saturation, marked aromas of red flowers, spices and berries, good alcohol content, pronounced tannins of medium fineness, moderate acid tension.
GHEMME WINE
Vespolina is a black grape variety present above all in the Oltrepò Pavese area, which is located in the southernmost area of the province of Pavia, close to the first Apennine formations and consists of a varied succession of hills and valleys with altitudes between 100 and 500 meters above sea level. The name Vespolina, as in the case of vines with similar names (Vespaiola), derives from the fact that wasps are particularly attracted to the sweetness of its ripe berries at the time of harvest. Also known by the synonym of Ughetta, it was one of the most important grape varieties of the Oltrepò Pavese and cultivated here since the end of the 18th century, but it then lost its importance with the advent of phylloxera. It is also widespread in the provinces of Como, Novara (Ghemme, Gattinara) and Piacenza.
Traditionally, Vespolina is vinified in blends with other grapes, such as Barbera, Croatina, Uva Rara to which it brings a characteristic spicy note. The distinctive characters of Vespolina are the small pentagonal leaf, the fairly compact and elongated bunch, dark berry tending to black. It has good vigor and medium ripening times, with expanded, espalier training forms. Suffers from downy mildew, rot and botrytis. It loves fresh, light and not deep soils that allow it to ripen more easily. The wine obtained from Vespolina vinified in purity is characterized by a bright ruby color of medium saturation, marked aromas of red flowers, spices and berries, good alcohol content, pronounced tannins of medium fineness, moderate acid tension.
BOCA WINE
Boca is a small town in the province of Novara, at m.t. 389 meters above sea level, with the hills planted with vineyards in the background, behind which you can glimpse the peaks of the Alps. Although the currents from the north coming from Monte Rosa produce powerful day-night excursions, the natural shelter of Monte Fenera produces mild winters , temperate springs, hot and sunny summers and autumns.
The "Boca" wine owes its peculiarities to the morainic soil that originates from Monte Rosa, made up of clay, sand, granite pebbles, porphyry and dolomitic rock flakes, which take on a different consistency according to the site.
The “Boca” and “Boca” Riserva wines must be obtained from grapes coming from the following Nebbiolo (Spanna) vines from 70% to 90%; Vespolina and Uva Rara (Bonarda Novarese), alone or together from 10% up to 30%. The minimum aging is 34 months, 18 of which in wood for the Boca DOC, and 46 months of which 24 in wood for the "reserve" version.