Winemaker Notes
The history of the Bava Family starts in Cocconato, a village that rises steeply up the hillsides of the Monferrato Astigiano.
The Bava Family has grown grape vines in this territory since 1600 and in 1911 in the very same area the family built their first wine cellar.
Since then, over a hundred vintages have gone by, with four generations following one another. The best Bava Barberas are renowned in the world thanks to their high quality.
Today, the family estate extends in Monferrato and Langa, with fifty hectares of vineyards and twenty hectares of natural fields and woods, cultivated with the same awareness, care and attention of the olden times resulting in a sustainable agriculture with a reduced environmental impact.
Walking along the Bava vineyards, you will notice the grass clippings and the prunings used as natual fertilizers, the poles, all strictly made of wood coming from renewable forests or grassing between vine rows, which not only helps prevent soil erosion, but also serves as proof that no hebicides are used.
Recognized as the source of the best Barbera in all of Italy, Asti is a province (as well as major city) in Piedmont, consisting of a gentle, rolling landscape with vineyards, farmland and forests alternating throughout.
Barbera d’Asti can be made in an array of styles from relatively straightforward, fruity and ready for consumption early, to the more concentrated, oak aged version with an ability to cellar impressively for 10-15 years and beyond. Some of the very best sites for Barbera in Asti are concentrated in the subzone of Nizza Monferrato. Other red varieties grown here include Freisa, Grignolino and Dolcetto, which can be bottled varietally or blended into Barbera.
Historically consumers commonly associated the Asti region with Asti Spumante and Moscato d’Asti, both playful, aromatic, sparkling wines made from the Muscat grape. Asti Spumante is less sweet, fully fizzy and more alcoholic (yet still clocking in at only around 9% alcohol) while Moscato d’Asti is sweeter, gently sparkling (“frizzante”) and closer to 5 or 6% alcohol. Each is produced in stainless steel tanks to preserve the fresh and fruity flavors of the grape, often including peach, apricot, lychee and rose petal. Asti is also the spot for the pink-hued Brachetto d'Acqui, a slightly sparkling wine ready to charm with its raspberry and rose flavors and aromas.
Friendly and approachable, Barbera produces wines in a wide range of styles, from youthful, fresh and fruity to serious, structured and age-worthy. Piedmont is the most famous source of Barbera; those from Asti and Alba garner the most praise. Barbera actually can adapt to many climates and enjoys success in some New World regions. Somm Secret—In the past it wasn’t common or even accepted to age Barbera in oak but today both styles—oaked and unoaked—abound and in fact most Piedmontese producers today produce both styles.