La Gironda di Galandrino – Asti (Organic)

The family history of Susanna Galandrino, winemaker at La Gironda, is inextricably linked to wine, to vines, and to the hills, where her grandparents toiled for all their lives, followed by her father in his youth.

In the year 2000, Susanna and her husband decided to go back to their roots and now she and her husband work full-time, cultivating their vineyards and producing their own wine.

Great care was taken in the choice of the vineyards, as location is an essential factor for the production of superior wines.  La Gironda lies in the very heart of Monferrato, at the center of the most important and prestigious wine-making area in the Asti district, at an altitude of about 200-400 meters above sea level where the soil, the vines, the climate, the culture, and the tradition come together to express the “terroir,” one of the most important in the region of Piedmont.  Nizza is the name of the town where the estate is situated, and it is now also the name of the new appellation Nizza DOCG-the area of excellence for the Barbera d’Asti  (the Nizza production area is strictly limited, from the cultivation and oenological viewpoint).  They also produce Moscato d’Asti DOCG, Brachetto d’Acqui DOCG, Piemonte DOC Sauvignon, and Monferrato DOC.

Even though La Gironda is a relatively new winery, the Azienda Agricola La Gironda has already won a whole array of awards and their wines are on all the most important Italian wine guides, as well as being appreciated on the international stage.

The winemakers cultivate and tend the 7 hectares of vines with maximum respect for the environment. They use only traditional techniques in the winery, with minimum technology, and the vines are only treated with product based on copper or sulfur, with no use of herbicides to clear the ground beneath the vines. For this and other systems that are in place, the winery has obtained the ISO14001 Certificate. This commitment on the part of the estate reflects its drive towards product excellence and environmental sustainability.

The aim of the winemakers is to produce the best wine they can in the simplest, most natural way possible so that it is the true expression of where they live and work: Nizza, the heart of Piedmont!

Vinification: De-stemming and gentle pressing of grapes. Fermentation in stainless-steel, temperature-controlled vats at a temperature of 28-30ºC. The wine is drawn off after 7 days and the first decanting occurs 10 days afterwards.  After the second decanting, this wine is stored in stainless-steel vats, where the malolactic fermentation takes place.

Tasting Notes: A young, uncomplicated Barbera, perfect for serving cool in summer.  Aged in steel to maintain its young and lively taste, it’s no mere coincidence that La Lippa is named after a childhood game.  Ruby red with purple highlights, it has an intense scent of red fruit and a dry, tangy flavor – for carefree drinking.

Food Pairings: Perfect with bread and salami, it pairs with all rice, pasta, and ethnic dishes.  Ideal with pizza or a barbecue with friends.  For something surprising, try with fish, especially in soups!

Vinification: Soft pressing of grapes. The skins remain in contact for 48 hours.  The must is decanted and conserved at a low temperature.  Re-fermentation in “autoclave” at a controlled temperature, until it has reached 6% alcohol by volume. Sterile bottling through filtration.

Tasting Notes: It has a very charming pale red color with soft violet hues.  Typical aromatic Brachetto grape bouquet, light musky scent with hints of rose.  Its taste is sweet, sapid, recalling the fruity character of the fragrance, with good structure and a long lasting finish.

Food Pairings: Suitable with all desserts, especially with fruit tarts, wild berries, syrupy fruit, and cookies (above all “amaretti” typical cookies of Piedmont)

Serving Temperature: 10ºC

Vinification: De-stalking and soft pressing of grapes. Fermentation in stainless-steel, temperature-controlled vats at a temperature of 28-30ºC.  The wine is drawn off after 7 days and the first decanting occurs 10 days afterwards.  After the second decanting, this wine is stored in stainless-steel vats, where the malolactic fermentation takes place.

Tasting Notes: Deep ruby-red color with violet reflections.  Intense, characteristically fruity bouquet. Warm in the mouth, full-bodied, well-balanced, with a good structure and a long lasting finish.

Food Pairings: Perfect for red meat dishes, roasts, braised meats, wild fowl and game. It goes well with full-fat and ripe cheeses.

Vinification: Soft pressing of grapes, skins off.  The must is decanted and conserved at a low temperature. Re-fermentation in “autoclave” at a controlled temperature until 5.5% alcohol by volume is attained.  Sterile bottling through filtration.

Tasting Notes: Straw-yellow color. Typically aromatic. Moscato grape bouquet, intense with hints of flowers.  Its taste is sweet, sapid, aromatic with light trace of (salvia).  Rich with good structure and a long lasting finish.

Food Pairings: It goes with all desserts, especially with hazel-nut cake and zabaione cream. It can be drunk also in the afternoon especially during the warmer seasons.

Serving Temperature: 8ºC

Exposition: South-Southwest

The Appelation: Nizza is a denomination that represents a zone of particular quality of Barbera d’Asti Superiore, that can be produced only in 18 communes (NIZZA monferrato and 17 villages all around) among the 169 where Barbera d’Asti can be produced.  The production surface area is limited, from the cultivation and oenological viewpoint (the location of this land must be on a hillside facing SSW-SSE, the grape yield is 7 tonnes/hectare – while for Barolo wine, it is 8 tonnes/hectare-minimum aging of 18 months starting  from January following the harvest, at least 6 months in wooden casks). From vintage 2014, this appellation of special quality will be called “Nizza DOCG.”

Grape Varietal: 100% Barbera of the “sottozona” Nizza

Yield: 7 tonnes per hectare

Vinification: Destalking and soft pressing of grapes.  Fermentation in stainless-steel, temperature-controlled vats at a temperature of 28 °C.  The wine is drawn off after 7 days and the first decanting occurs 10 days afterwards.  After the second decanting, the wine is stored in stainless-steel vats, where the malolactic fermentation takes place.  When the malolactic fermentation is terminated, the wine is left to refine in French-oak casks (225-500L) after which it is bottled.  Following the bottling, the wine is left to mature in the cellars for 6 to 12 months.

Tasting Notes: Ruby-red color with purple hues.  A suitably intense bouquet of red berries and syrupy fruit with traces of tobacco and cacao. Warm in the mouth, full-bodied, light tannins, a good structure, and long lasting.

Food Pairings: Rich and succulent first courses, main courses of red meat roasts, boiled meat, braised meat, wild fowl and game.  It goes well with savory, full-fat, and ripe cheese.  And, of course, this wine is perfect just for the pleasure of drinking a glass of good wine!

Grape Varieties: Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, Cortese. This wine is produced with grapes obtained from certified organic vines.

Harvest: The ripened grapes are hand-picked in mid-August and placed in crates weighing about 18kg each.

Vinification: Destemming of the grapes and fermentation of the must in contact with the skins. The skins are left to macerate for a period of about 2 weeks, followed by a gentle pressing. At the end of fermentation and after a period of resting on the lees, the dregs are removed. No added sulfites.

Tasting Notes: This wine has a very particular orange/yellow color. The nose has hints of ripe white fruit (especially apple), but also apricot, candied fruit, and honey. Additional notes of aromatic herbs and light, sweet incense. Delicate tannins on the palate (due to prolonged contact with the skins) and a beautiful structure. Very light acidity, with aromatic hints of ripe pink grapefruit and dried fruit on the finish.

Food Pairings: This wine goes nicely with vegetables and fish in tempura, sushi, soups, and fish stew. Also delicious with curries, dishes with mushrooms and truffles, and flavorful, aged cheeses.