Wine of the Week! 10/14/24

La Colombera
Vegia Rampana
Colli Tortonesi Barbera

Normally $21.99 / Now on Sale for $16.96
100% Barbera (Colli Tortonesi DOC)

Colli Tortonesi is the southeastern corner of Italy’s Piedmont wine region, right below Monferrato and next to Gavi. Spread among the hills around Tortona, it is a geographically transitional area, sitting between the Po Plains, the northernmost reaches of the Apennines, and the Mediterranean. Thus, it has a wide range of soil types and elevations for winemakers to choose from. Its dominant white grape is Cortese, which finds its most noted expression over in Gavi, but the dominant red grape for Colli Tortonesi is that fresh, light Piedmont beauty, Barbera.

In Colli Tortonesi, you’ll find the family-owned vineyard and winery Azienda Agricola La Colombera. Five generations of the Semino family have worked this land. Currently, Elisa Semino runs the winery with the help of her father and brother. The clay-based soil on the hill that holds their plots comes in both light and dark colors and can be stony. So, part of the vineyard management has been choosing which grapes to grow where based on the soil variation.

Semino vinifies this organic Barbera in steel to better showcase their labors in the vineyard. You should look for a Colli Tortonesi Barbera to have fresh fruit riding alongside enough acidity to give it structure. In this light, Elisa’s Barbera does not disappoint, as its interwoven acidity adds a touch of complexity to what could otherwise be a simple, pleasant, light-bodied red.

Just in time for Halloween, the Vegia Rampana (“Old Witch”) casts a welcome and strong spell with just a bit of a chill on it and just a bit of chill in the air.