Villa Sparina

Italy

Winery Information

Location: Gavi, Piamonte.

Winemaker: Giuseppe Caviola

Properties: 65 ha. of select vineyards in the hills of Gavi, specifically on the property “Tenuta Villa Sparina” plus a vineyard of 8 ha. on the hilltop called “Bric Maioli”.

Production: 550,000 bottles per year.

Web: http://www.villasparina.it/

The Piedmontese region of Gavi is located in the province of Alessandria, between the Italian Alps and the Ligurian coastline. And despite the fact that the Piedmont is renowned for its reds, the Gavi appellation has earned its reputation for making great whites. The region is rich in clay, lime and iron, and many of its vineyards are planted on fairly steep slopes, so as to take full advantage of sunlight. Made with the Cortese grape, Gavi wines are often compared with those of Chablis, due to their elegant and stony flavour and crisp acidity. Among the main producers, and located on a hill which presides over the picturesque village of Gavi, is the Azienda Agricola Villa Sparina. A winegrowing estate owned by the Moccagatta family, Villa Sparina is an elegant stately home equipped with modern technology, and includes a recently-built luxury hotel and restaurant. Its main vineyard of cortese grapes is located on a hill known as Monterotondo, planted with 25 year old vines with a south-southwest orientation. The wines are carefully made, using stainless steel for temperature control during fermentation (3 weeks at 18º) so as to ensure partial malolactic fermentation. The wines are only slightly filtered before bottling, thus preserving the delicate aroma of the grape. Its most important Gavi wine is ‘Monterotondo’ , made only in certain years with grapes selected from the uppermost rows in the vineyard with the best orientation.