Cascina Barisél / Franco Penna
With just 5 hectares, Franco Penna's winery is small but exquisite. The estate near Canelli, east of Alba, comprises only the very best south-facing sites with calcareous soils. Franco's father Enrico, who bought the estate in the 1960s, obviously knew what he was doing.
Practically half of the vineyard is planted with Moscato bianco. One hectare is dedicated to Barbera, from which La Cappelletta is made, and the remaining land planted with Dolcetto and Favorita. In recent years, Franco Penna, like so many other winemakers, has adapted his winegrowing and increasingly relies on organic methods. The vineyards around Canelli are among the most valuable in Piedmont, especially because of the fragrant, finely sparkling Moscato d'Asti. Franco Penna is committed to keeping these soils alive through the appropriate cultivation.
Red wines from Cascina Barisél / Franco Penna
Sweet wines from Cascina Barisél / Franco Penna
from Cascina Barisél / Franco Penna
La Cappelletta is vinified only in the very best years. The vines were planted in 1955. The yields are low, with about 500 grams per vine. The wine is aged for 12 to 16 months in barriques and spends at least one more year in the bottle before being released for sale. A classic Barbera of considerable stature.
Producer
Didier Joris
Didier Joris is a legendary figure in the Valais, where the history of wine would be unthinkable without him. He grew up in a farming family that initially concentrated on raising cattle. To this very day, Didier still raves about «his Queens», the Hérens fighting cows. It was only during the 1960s and 1970s that the Joris family began to terrace slopes to plant vines and cultivate vineyards.
Bodegas Ribas
We could talk about our winery of the year, Bodega Ribas on Mallorca, all day long. But it's best to see and read for yourself! We sent wine journalist Britta Wiegelmann and cameraman Felix Groteloh to experience the winery and the family at first hand. Araceli and Javier Servera Ribas, the brother and sister team behind the wines, tell us how the oldest existing winery on the island survived phylloxera, why they love their local grape, the Mantonegro, so much and what the sea has to do with it all.
