Wine production today
Colli Tortonesi doc wines
With a doc surface of 1,096 hectares and a total surface of 1,800 hectares planted with vines, the sunny hilly ridges lying to the south-east of Tortona, represent the third vine cultivated area of the Province of Alessandria as for extent. Within the Tortona region, the whole doc area includes the 30 municipal lands of: Tortona, Viguzzolo, Castellar Guidobono, Casalnoceto, Volpeglino, Monleale, Berzano di Tortona, Pozzol Groppo, Sarezzano, Carbonara Scrivia, Villaromagnano, Cerreto Grue, Montemarzino, Momperone, Montegioco, Paderna, Villalvernia, Carezzano, Costa Vescovato, Avolasca, Casasco, Brignano Frascata, Castellania, Sant’Agata Fossili, Gavazzana, Cassano Spinola, Volpedo, Spineto Scrivia, Sardigliano e Stazzano.
Made of brown-yellow clayey-calcareous lands, most of high grounds of the Tortona region date back to Eocene period. However, in the Curone Valley, especially south to Volpedo, there are also brown clayey lands which date back to the Cretaceous period.
Moreover, in Sarezzano, Berzano, Montemarzino, Monleale, Frascata, San Sebastiano Curone and Garbagna, on the whole Eocene structure, it is possible to find some sandy formations belonging to the Oligocene period, with marly and marly-sandy areas. Avolasca, Costa Vescovato and San’Agata Fossili show the presence of lands belonging to the Miocene period.
This diversity among the different areas represents a plus for the vines growing, which are raised with the traditional counter-espalier shape and pruned down with the Guyot technique or with the system called “a cordone speronato basso” (plant tie). The rigorous climate characterized by cold winters, together with rains which are present throughout the year and thermic ranges between day and night during maturation, play a very important role in giving these vines a fruit-based, elegant and delicate aroma.
The vine certificated origin finds its roots in the high oenological culture of the Tortona region, where vines are small-sized and their excellence benefits by the mild streams of the sea located just beyond the Apennines.
