That the weather has a direct influence on each year’s results is irrefutable.
Every winemaker knows that the same wine can never be had, because the weather, which is unique and unrepeatable each year, has such an effect.

Often I realise that consumers look for a product they can recognise, with a familiar taste. This is just like going to a restaurant and asking for a drink of a particular brand and getting a similar, but different drink–one that we aren’t used to.

Of course wine isn’t–and shouldn’t be–compared to an industrial drink.
The latter should indeed have the same flavour to satisfy each client and reassure with the same, consistent taste.

But wine is an expression of the land,

the vintage, the weather

and the winemaker.

I find it really interesting to look for different sensations attributable to the weather in all its aspects (for example, different temperatures at different points during the year, the number of millimetres of rain, the percentage humidity, or the differing lengths of each season) and how these are expressed in the wine and influence each year.

• Vintages with higher than average temperatures (especially from flowering to harvest) usually bring early-ripening grapes, with greater quantities of sugar. This results in higher than average alcohol content than in cooler years, which usually result in less alcoholic wine.
• Years that are sunnier than usual can result in wines with more lively and intense colour (keeping in mind the colour characteristics of each variety) or wines with more attenuated colour.
• Years with greater temperature fluctuations between day and night (especially towards veraison) enrich and amplify aromas and bouquet, while also adding to elegance and refinement.
• Vintages that are especially favoured and of unusual quality are a result of excellent ripening (in all aspects) of the grape clusters, leading to a perfectly-timed harvest.

The ideal weather for each variety differs; it is a rare-enough occurrence and it makes wines from exclusive parts of the world (for example, Nebbiolo in the Langhe region) unique.

It is stimulating to look for and find all these aspects in a glass of wine, instead of looking for identical characteristics each year.
To be able to taste different vintages of the same wine and perceive the many different sensations is what I look for and prefer.

And it is also what distinguishes wine from any other type of conventional drink.

Here in Piedmont, we agricultural and winegrowing families have a unique word that immediately conveys a very precise meaning, a word that doesn’t exist in the rest of the world. It might not mean much outside our regional boundaries, but inside my head it conjures up the sound of the voices of my grandparents and parents.

The ciabot.

That’s what we say here in the Langhe. In the Monferrato area they say casot, but it’s just a different name for the same thing.

For those who don’t speak Piedmontese dialect, a ciabot or casot is a tiny little house set in the middle of the vineyards, almost as though to protect them or to watch over the grapes. In actual fact, the ciabot has always fulfilled a much less poetic purpose than it might seem from the outside: it was merely a glorified tool shed, used to store the equipment used in the vineyard, inhabited by spiders, insects, the occasional field mouse and all kinds of birds.

The ciabot was created to meet the daily needs of those who worked in the fields every day and needed to take their tools with them every day, or as a place to take shelter from a sudden summer storm while they were working in the vineyards.

The natural solution was a little brick building that could also be used to store drinking water and food, as well as providing shelter for people.

Some of my childhood memories are of hot spring or summer days, running around barefoot and carefree among the vines, and then sitting down at the table of the ciabot to eat bread and jam, bread and sugar, or fruit. Those tables were also used at the end of the days during the grape harvest, when everyone would have dinner together in the vineyard, tired and dirty, but happy about the grapes that had been harvested to give birth to a new wine.

You can find ciabots everywhere in the Langhe, Roero and Monferrato.

Every vineyard has its own brick guardian which, if only it could speak, would have an endless stream of stories of generations of family to tell. Happy stories and sad ones, stories of arrivals and departures, of good harvests and bad ones, of drought, of years of hardship but also years that were sunny and serene, of children’s voices and the memories of the elderly.

And the ciabot has become UNESCO World Heritage.

Something that we’ve always had right under our noses has become a treasure, precious not only to us but to everyone. Things of simple beauty that tell the tale of a time when man’s pace matched that of nature, the two entwining in a strong and crazy love story.

Ciabots are so important to the people of Piedmont that a project called “Banca del Fare” (The Bank of Doing) has been created by the non-profit organisation Parco Culturale Alta Langa, to teach people the theory and practical techniques for the conservation of Piedmont’s heritage of stone buildings. A manual and tangible project to reconstruct the ciabots and restore the social dimension that characterised them in the past.

That’s just the way we Piedmontese are: we keep our heads down and work hard, concentrating on the fruits of our land, while building or work with invaluable treasures, like our ciabots, tiny houses full of life and the energy of the vineyards.

If you have the chance to pop in to see me, I’ll take you for a walk in the vineyards to learn about the ciabots of the Langa!

Ph credits: Franco Bello Fotografie

Luigi Veronelli used to say “you have to walk the earth”. Walk to learn, to live in perpetual movement and for the joy of progressing step by step.

So that’s exactly what we did a few weeks ago, with my kids Clara, 8, and Giovanni, 7, in the village of Murazzano: 749 metres above sea level, woods, animals and an impressive medieval tower which rises 33 metres above the houses. The village is known as the “shield and key of Piedmont” due to its strategic position, and is part of the Strada Romantica of the Langhe and Roero.

Have you ever been to Alta Langa?

I’m in love with it. I love that wild feeling that the part of the Langhe where Barolo grows has lost. If I close my eyes, I feel as though I’m breathing in the sea air. This is where my I’m going to plant my new Chardonnay and Pinot Noir vineyards, to make my Alta Langa docg.

Together with Clara and Giovanni, we walked and learned about the history of Murazzano, as though it were a fairy tale.

The village was once devoted almost exclusively to goat herding and is home to a much-loved DOP cheese named Murazzano after the village. Half way between a robiola and a toma, it’s made in small quantities using Langhe goat’s milk. It is also a Slow food presidio.

There is a legend about this cheese and I told it to the children, who like stories that are a little bit scary.

A young boy from Murazzano, called Giovannino, had been given the job of watching over some Murazzano cheeses but he became distracted and a big black crow swooped down and stole  some of them. Frightened that his mother would be angry with him, Giovannino followed the crow as fare as Ceva, known as a meeting place for witches and devils.  Giovannino was tired and hungry, so he decided to rest in a hut. When he entered the hut, he found a surprise: a table laden with all kinds of delicious things to eat. So the boy ate! All of a sudden the devil appeared and accused him of stealing his lunch. He ordered Giovannino to follow him to hell. The crafty young boy asked the devil to grant him a last wish: to drink some cool water from the well. Upon reaching the well, the devil leaned over it to see whether there was any water and Giovannino pushed him in. He promised to help the devil out but only if he returned the stolen Murazzano cheeses. The crow was actually the devil. And this goes to show how valuable this cheese was, so valuable that even the devil loved it (source: DOC cheeses of Italy, pp. 71-72).

Murazzano is a village known for its food and wine too.

Cafe Gianduja does excellent aperitifs (tel. +39  0173 798013): they have a list of very important and well-selected wines, including some very rare native grapes. If you want to have lunch or dinner in Murazzano, I can highly recommend Trattoria da Lele (tel. +39 0173 798016), a welcoming restaurant with a family atmosphere and a strictly Piedmontese menu. A great place to eat!

I’m going to close with some words from Veronelli: “Those who walk the earth know that the important thing is not to arrive, but to progress, step by step. Walking the earth is about expressing our lives in constant movement. Sometimes you have to stop to rest or think and to rejoice or cry, and then start walking again. Stop also to remember and relive the road you have travelled”.

Have you ever seen a vine “weep”? It really does happen. If you find yourself driving past a vineyard in March, stop the car and get out.

Walk up to a vine that’s been pruned and observe it carefully: every 30 seconds, a little teardrop forms on the incision where the vine has been pruned, and drops. This extraordinary phenomenon is something not everyone is aware of. We call it «weeping of the vine». Not tears of sadness, but a proclamation of life.

Let’s see what happens.

The plant reawakens from its winter sleep and recommences its lifecycle.  The “tears” are little droplets of sap, rising up the stalk of the vine and seeping out. This happens when the roots start working again, when the sap begins to rise up through the wood. It’s as though the vine is taking a deep breath before the birth of the new buds.

But what happens to the vine to make it weep?

The vine is explained clearly on the website www.agraria.org: “The budding phase is preceded by a typical phenomenon of the vine called “weeping”, which is actually the release of fluid from the xylem vessels where they have been pruned. This is due, on one hand, to the reactivation of the sugar metabolism – the transformation of starch into simple sugars – and the consequent reactivation of cellular respiration, and, on the other, the high level of absorption that characterises the roots, which peaks during this phase”.

But what are the “tears” made of?

This varies from one grape variety to another, but as a general rule they are a combination of mineral elements, organic compounds, sugars and acids.

How do we know when a vine is “weeping”?

Good question! It’s impossible to know for certain but, according to some agronomical studies, it always happens just after the middle of March. Fortunately, it lasts a few days. Don’t miss it this year: it’s an emotional experience! This is another aspect of life as a winegrower!

Here I am at the end of a long day, as rich as ever of so much work in the management of my farm and beyond.

I often tell friends about my days and their question is always the same: “Sara, how are you doing everything?” Yes, good question! Sometimes I ask myself how I do it. I talked about it some time ago in my blog: my company, 4 children and a husband represent in reality my energy to face with joy and serenity all my daily challenges

Precisely with the arrival of the cold season, when the long summer, which culminates with the September harvest, is now behind me I like to rethink all the work of the last months and the many people who visited my cellar during the beautiful season.

Each tasting is a unique moment

Every person, every tasting is a special moment. I welcome winelovers (… and not only) from all over Italy and the world in a moment of meeting that goes well beyond the simple wine tasting. They are moments of exchange in which my desire is to build a community. A group of people that increases year after year, which is a first time and then a second until, almost without realizing it, a friendship is established and the tasting becomes a fixed appointment year after year to rekindle and tell a lot of things with a good glass of wine.

I thought then to share here with you 5 reasons why visit my cellar, (even when you are in full autumn or winter) that for me are really very important:

1. Drink wine, an excellent wine. It seems obvious but it is not. A visit to the cellar must have as a central moment the wine tasting! If this is not good, you risk losing much of the magic of the moment. The wine I produce is the result of the work and passion of all those who work in my company. Thanks to this commitment we have received many international awards that give us the incentive to improve and always offer a better product.
2. Know the history of my company. Starting from my grandfather Ernesto Saffirio up to me, we have been cultivating the vineyard for more than two centuries and telling this territory through our wines. I love to describe this story as a marvelous adventure in the land of the Langhe, made of passion and love. A story that excites me every time I tell it to those who want to listen.
3. Enjoy a unique territory. My company is in Monforte d’Alba, we are in the Langhe, a UNESCO heritage. I am proudly part of this territory and if you come to find me you will discover not only unique wines but, also, postcard landscapes. During the last summer I proposed some itineraries in the area that can also be done in autumn or winter. Every season in the Langhe has its own peculiarities that deserve to be seen. Discover my itineraries:
   • From Montelupo Albese to Monforte d’Alba
   • From Sale San Giovanni to Monforte d’Alba
   • 3 castles in the Langhe
4. Discovering my eco-sustainable winery. A very important project that I realized is the modernization of my cellar, a structure designed to integrate into the rural landscape and reduce the environmental impact. The entire building has been designed to optimize work and resources. A winery in harmony with its territory that blends with my idea of sustainable viticulture
5. Participate in my projects. I have always understood my activity as a wine producer as something that goes well beyond the vineyard. It means for me to take care of my territory. I do this by always investing in new projects. One of the initiatives I am particularly proud of is Adpot a row, I talked about it in my blog in October. By joining this project you will become part of my community of adopters, who take care of a precious row and you will contribute to participate in the preservation of a unique environment, protecting the traditions and practices necessary for the birth of a true Barolo DOCG.

If you wish to book a tasting session in my cellar, click here and you can experience the 5 points that I have just told you in person! If I think back to what I just wrote now I can explain how I can do everything. The passion for everything I do allows me to face with a smile the myriad commitments of my mother’s day, businesswoman and wife and a part of the merit is yours! With your visits to the winery, at meeting times with my adopters, I understand that everything I’m doing makes sense.

Looking forward to seeing you soon!

Welcome back to the now usual summer event dedicated to the routes of our territory. In June and July I had focused on two itineraries to discover Alta and Bassa Langa, today we see a new thematic itinerary dedicated to 3 important castles in the Langhe. In the sinuous intertwining of rolling hills and vineyards, these imposing medieval fortresses dominate the horizon, which are a heritage of our cultural landscape.

Castle of Monticello D’Alba

Our itinerary starts from here, a few kilometers from Alba, we find the castle of Monticello, one of the best preserved of the whole area. Its origin is very ancient and dates back to the year one thousand. The castle is owned by the Roero family of Monticello since 1372.

Today the Castle is structured on three floors, each with a hall to visit. We have an arms room, where you can see an exhibition of weapons belonging to different historical periods, then we find the room dedicated to paintings with portraits of the Roero family, finally we have a large billiard room. You can also visit the garden that preserves its original fourteenth-century structure.

The architectural peculiarity of the castle is the presence of three towers that have a different plan: a tower has a square, a round and an octagonal shape.

To visit the castle here you will find all the informations.

Castle of Grinzane Cavour

Not far from Monticello we find Grinzane with its famous castle. Its position between vineyards and hills makes it even more impressive, a bulwark to protect the territory. He hosted Camillo Benso Count of Cavour, who transformed it into a center of excellent wine production.

The castle, in addition to the undeniable architectural beauty that fits perfectly into the landscape, is worth a visit because it is home to many attractions. Inside you can find:

• The Piemontese Cavour Regional wine shop: in addition to local wines and spirits, there is a rich selection of local products ranging from jams to muscat vinegar.

• Langhe Museum: a museum dedicated to the territory. The visits are conducted by the same Count of Cavour who will guide you to discover the manor. If you are nearby in August here find the dates of the month in which the guided tour is planned.
• Restaurant: if you want to give yourself a gastronomic experience, the castle has an exclusive restaurant inside edited by Chef Marc Lanteri in which seasonal flavors are paired with fine wines that only the Langhe can offer.

In addition, since 1999 the castle has been home to the now traditional white truffle auction worldwide. An event that sees the participation of fans from all over the world to win the best truffles of the season.

Do not forget this castle because, in addition to being a UNESCO heritage, it is truly a gem, for information on contacts and visiting hours here you will find all the information to organize at best your visit.

Castle of Barolo

10 minutes from Grinzane, here is another suggestive fortress: the castle of Barolo. The manor stands in the beautiful village of Barolo which gives its name to the famous Piedmontese wine famous all over the world. The castle has a very ancient history dating back to the tenth century. Currently it is home to WIMU, which is the wine museum. An original immersion in the culture of this product that will involve you from the panoramic terrace up to the historic cellars of the castle. The wine is discovered in a thematic path that ranges between art, culture and local traditions. The tour winds through 25 exhibition rooms divided into 5 floors.

If you visit the castle, do not miss the opportunity to take a fascinating tour through the streets of Barolo, in addition to the beauty of the country surrounded by hills and vineyards, you can find the Corkscrew Museum. A journey that tells the story of an object as small as it is essential to taste a good bottle of wine. In the visit you can see up to 500 corkscrews from all over the world ranging from 1600 to today.

Visit our cellar

At the end of this tour of 3 wonderful castles just 10 minutes from Barolo you can visit us. The Josetta Saffirio farm is located not far from Monforte d’Alba. We will be open until August 19th and we are waiting for you for a tasty langarola snack: our best wines accompanied by local meats and cheeses. A moment of relaxation in which you can tell us about your trip and visit our cellar. I like to create an authentic relationship with those who decide to visit my company, listening and telling the many projects that we see as protagonists. I love my territory and I love to tell it and share it with those who want to find out.

If you would like to find out about our company you can contact us directly at info@josettasaffirio.com or click on the button below

After the itinerary I proposed to you in June, here is another route to visit our territory and discover new locations. In July I thought of a tour of Alta and Bassa Langa, where history, art and culture blend with vineyards and postcard views. Yes, the Langhe are all this!

From Montelupo Albese to Rodello

You can start from Montelupo Albese, a small village situated above the mountains and placed on a hill. Its name seems to derive from the wolves that, according to an ancient legend, lived in this height. The country is characterized by the beauty of its landscape. Located about 600 meters. above sea level allows you to enjoy enchanting views: from the western alpine arc where Monviso stands out to the green hills that surround it. Going up further you can visit another picturesque village called Rodello. It stands on the crest of a hill, is characterized by healthy air and here we find a generous and refreshing view. The church of the Immaculate Conception is now home to the Museum of Contemporary Sacred Art “Dedalo Montali”. A museum of modern and religious art that is unique in the local and national scene. If in addition to loving the breathtaking views you are passionate about art I suggest you do not miss the opportunity to visit Rodello.

Sinio and Roddino

Descending towards the Talloria Valley we meet Sinio. Small village perched on the green hills. Formerly called Sineum today is a rural and tourist center. It stretches over the hills of the Bassa Langa and is surrounded by vineyards and hazel groves. I point out that the pro loco in the summer season organizes night walks and on August 14th there is the “Notte delle Masche” party not to be missed if you’re around! The village is transformed into a magical village.
Continuing our journey we arrive at Roddino, between Alta and Bassa langa, where the ancient salt route used to pass. Immediately striking the eye is the wide expanse of vineyards of Dolcetto and Nebbiolo that surround the village and make it a place of absolute charm from which it is worth passing.

Monforte d’Alba

The route ends in Monforte d’Alba, the area where our company is based. We are located in the Langa del Barolo. As we saw in the June itinerary Monforte is a small pearl of history in the heart of this territory. The town square, thanks to its particular shape, during the summer turns into an auditorium which is home to cultural events. In particular, I would like to point out that there are numerous music concerts during the months of July and August . If you happen to be in the area during one of these I suggest you do not miss the chance! A unique setting in the world that becomes even more magical in the summer months, creating a unique atmosphere linked to the landscape.

Visit our cellar

A few kilometers from Monforte you can find our cellar, where you can enjoy a sweet break. It will be wonderful to welcome you in the barrels where we slowly refine our wines and talk with you about the beauties you have visited during your journey, giving you new ideas for your trip.
The visit to our cellar will be a complete sensory experience, tasting our wines accompanied by tasty platters of local meats and cheeses. It will be an opportunity to combine the beauty of the landscape with the pleasure of tasting, an ideal union of all that this beautiful area can offer our visitors. So you can keep a vivid memory of your experience.

For more information you can write to info@josettasaffirio.com or directly click on the button below.

At Dinner, in Winery with the Wine Producer

Friday February 23rd, 6 p.m.
Azienda Agricola Josetta Saffirio
Località Castelletto, 39 – 12065 Monforte d’Alba (CN)

A dinner and a unique experience

On Friday February 23rd at the Josetta Saffirio Winey will take place a special dinner led by the chef Matteo Morra to whom my special thanks for the tasty menu, that purposes to exalt our 2014’s Barolo, Vintage 2012 and 2014’s Barolo DOCG.
From the very beginning my desire was to give a unique moment to our guests.
An encounter between our winery and the Chef’s tastes not only appetizing but a complete tasting experience. Adding the winery discovery and our wines to a highly elaborate menu able to exalt its matching, is what we would like to give to participants.

The evening’s programme

Before dinner I will guide you to wineries. There you could watch where and how Josetta Saffirio’s wines born. It will be a pleasure to receive you in the heart of the winery and tell you our history, walking through caskes where our wine silently ripens.
Then, at the end of the visit, there will be an appetizer directly in barrique wine cellar, in the magic peace and atmosphere where wines become better, sealing an ideal matching between winery and food.
At the end of the appetizer it will start dinner with a selection of dishes specially invented and created by the Chef.

The evening’s menu

Appetizer in barrique wine cellar:

• Frog-fish, black cabbage and potatoes mousse
• Veal with tuna sauce
• Sausage and ricotta cheese “capunet”
• Russian Salad
• Toma cheese, celery and hazelnuts

In matching Nebbiolo d’Alba Spumante Brut Rosé 2015

At Table:

• Blue buffalo mozzarella risotto, chestnuts and Marsala reduction
• Langa’s crust pork and topinambur cream
• Cheese selection
• Annurca apples TarteTatin and vanilla sauce

Wines:

• Barolo DOCG, 2014
• Barolo docg Persiera, 2014
• Barolo vintage Millenovecento48, 2012

Info and booking

If you are curious or begin having drool, you must know that the dinner has a limited number of seats. To participate visit our web site or click here.

For more informations about the event, contact us by phone or mail:

• + 39 0173 787278
• info@josettasaffirio.com