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
Descendientes de J. Palacios, S.L.
In the late 1990s, Álvaro Palacios came to Bierzo in search of a new challenge after having achieved great success in the Priorat. Bierzo, in the far northwest of Castilla y León, awaited him with its wild, craggy landscape where heather, rock roses and holly oaks dominate the flora, with its climatic and geological characteristics, and with the fascinating grape variety Mencía.
Susana Balbo Wines
The mighty Aconcagua watches over the plain of Mendoza, 1000 kilometres from Argentina’s capital Buenos Aires. A barren, semi-arid land where Jesuits and Franciscans, after the Spanish conquest in the 16th century, discovered favourable natural conditions for viticulture.
Standish / Dan Standish
The Standish Wine company was founded in 1999 by Dan Standish. He started at that time with a small, family-owned plot of almost hundred-year-old Shiraz vines in the heart of the Barossa Valley, in the sub-region of Vine Vale. He is part of the sixth generation of immigrants who settled here in 1848. In his career, Dan Standish gained experience not only in his home country, but also in California, Spain and France. He is passionate about the great wines of the Rhône Valley.