Fontechiara

About

Owner & winemaker: Giancarlo Ferrari
Vineyards: 2ha on the eastern slopes of the Colline Novaresi
Vineyard management: Practicing organic and farming according to lunar cycles
Soils: Iron-rich moraines
Grapes grown: Nebbiolo, Vespolina

Quick facts:

• The name of the estate is a combination of the word “fonte,” meaning a natural water spring, and “Chiara,” the name of Giancarlo’s wife.
• Their rosato is inspired by the light-bodied rosé wine traditionally made by the “Terzoi,” the peasant farmers who once worked the land in exchange for one-third of the harvest.

Inspired by an innate love of the land, Giancarlo Ferrari’s family decided to return to their origins to relive the winemaking tradition of earlier generations. To do so, they set out to restore the family property, including its farmhouse and casotti (vineyard sheds). The name of the property derives from a spring, or fonte—found on the property by a water diviner—as well as Giancarlo’s wife’s name, Chiara, who is the commercial director for the estate. The Ferrari family follows the old peasant tradition of using the phases of the moon to determine when it is best to prune the vines, thin the canopy, and rack the wines in the cellar. Bottling is only done during a waning moon, for example. The Ferraris farm a little more than two hectares of primarily Nebbiolo and Vespolina, two of the typical indigenous grapes of the Alto Piemonte. They use a combination of stainless steel and large botti for fermentation and ageing. The wines are joyfully rustic and characteristic of the region.