From: Piedmont, Italy
Varietal: Barbera
Tasting Notes: This is a pleasant rosé with distinctive character. The nose is broad and fresh with notes typical of very young Barbera: bing cherries, red currants, wildflowers, and aromatic herbs.A vibrant acidity carries the backbone of the palate, which shines with pretty red cherry and berry notes from the nose, alongside a distinct stony earth minerality.
Pairing: This wine drinks beautifully on its own, but will pair well with a range of fresh fish and veggie dishes. We can imagine enjoying it with herb-roasted lemon chicken, a veggie tart, a spread of grilled summer veggies like zucchini, light, salty cheeses, and charcuterie, or an arugula salad with strawberries, figs, walnuts, and goat cheese. The following Bon Appétit recipe for Pea and Prosciutto Salad will be lovely!
About. Corte San Pietro is a family winery based in Monferrato, Piedmont. It sits on a hilly five hectares outside of Moasca, within Piedmont’s very own UNESCO world heritage site dedicated to the long history of wine growing in the area. Corte San Pietro falls within the Nizza appellation, which specializes in high-quality Barbera.
Now headed by Fabio Ghidella, the winery was established by Fabio’s grandfather, Annibale, whose legacy is continued in the estate’s use of traditional methods that eschew the modern agribusiness that came to the area following World War II. All of their vines have been grown naturally, without chemicals or pesticides and with particular consideration that their family home is attached to the land.
Fabio’s father, Luigi decided to study medicine, and left behind farm life. With Fabio’s return, we see the continuation of the family connection. He uses what he learned from his grandfather, and has worked with the Claudio Dacasto, a young and well known enologist consultant in Piedmont, to develop a deep understanding of his vines. Corte San Pietro works predominantly with Barbara as well as a few other traditional varietals.
The grapes for this wine were harvested by hand in 20 kg perforated boxes, prior to destemming and a short cold maceration with the skins for four to six hours. The must was then pressed gently and spent a short, cold decanting prior to fermentation.
