Based in the town of Borgomanero in Alto Piemonte, Ivano Barbaglia and Paola Fornara are making timeless wines in one of Italy’s smallest wine regions: Boca. Due to urbanization during the twentieth century, the vineyard area here has fallen drastically, from one thousand hectares to just ten.
Ivano was forced to rethink his life following serious health problems a few years ago, and together with Paola he started this small winery in 2012.
They contributed to the revival of a historic vineyard in Boca, within the Monte Fenera Natural Park, between four and five hundred meters above the sea level. Here, centenary vines of Nebbiolo, Vespolina, Uva Rara, Croatina and other local varieties are planted on igneous porphyry, basalts and sands. These particular soils are highly acidic and low in calcium, conditions that have helped prevent the spread of the phylloxera.
Paola regularly look after the vines, most of which are trained with an ancient trellising system known as Maggiorina. With this method, three or four vines are planted at the center of a two-by-two-meter area and trained outward to form a crown around the vines. The system was perfected in the 19th century by architect Alessandro Antonelli, designer of the famous "Mole Antonelliana" in Torino.
Ivano takes care of the winemaking, using stainless steel vats for fermentation, which is always carried out with indigenous yeasts and without temperature control.
The cellar, home to a couple of large barrels and three tonneaux, is a small room in the basement of their house.
.jpg)
