Cantina Saffirio regarding wine tourism proposals to discover and taste in depth Barolo and the Langhe territory.

In Castelletto di Monforte d’Alba, where Barolo is born among ancient hills and deep silence, the Saffirio winery, which is part of Brave Wine, the wine holding company founded by the entrepreneur Renzo Rosso, chooses to transform hospitality into a natural and conscious gesture.

Here, wine tourism is not a trend to follow, but the concrete extension of an idea of wine that focuses on people, the landscape and time: time to listen, to understand, to savor. It is with this spirit that the company has built over the years a hospitality project capable of telling not only about the wines, but also about the philosophy that generated them, through experiences designed to experience the cellar as a place of relationship, discovery and shared memory. A project born from the desire to open up to those seeking authenticity and depth, and to do so with proposals that combine storytelling, tasting and immersion in the territory.

This is where the Gold Wine Experience comes from, the most intense testimony of this approach: not a simple vertical, but a journey through five vintages of Barolo chosen between 1978 and 2020, selected from the company’s historic reserve. A journey that speaks of soil, seasons, evolution, and that returns in every glass the value of time and the coherence of a production vision handed down for over two centuries. Before the tasting, the visit to the vineyards and the cellar allows you to fully understand the silent work that lies behind each vintage: a work that is rooted in respect for nature and is nourished by attention, listening and precision.

With the Barolo Experience , however, the story expands to embrace the entire history of the winery: from the first steps on the hills of Monforte d’Alba of the Saffirio family, to the discovery of the individual vineyards, up to the tasting of the four different interpretations of Barolo produced today through the Cru Castelletto Persiera, Ravera, Perno and Barolo Riserva Millenovecento48 . It is a way to enter the beating heart of the company, touch the living material of wine and understand first-hand what it means, even today, to preserve an iconic denomination with an eye to the future. For those who wish, it is possible to complete the journey with a selection of cured meats and cheeses, to make the experience even tastier.

Finally, from April to October, the Pic Nic nelle Vigne offers a moment of freedom among nature, silence and horizons of beauty: after the guided tour and tasting of four labels, guests receive a lunch box designed for two people, complete with a bottle of Barbera d’Alba Superiore and a Saffirio-branded corkscrew to take with them among the rows for a moment of authentic conviviality, to be experienced independently under the Langhe sky.

A new development created thanks to the investments made by Brave Wine, the company has recently inaugurated a new tasting room with an adjoining kitchen, a modern and functional space designed not only to host classic tastings, but also private or corporate events, thanks to the possibility of collaborating with selected caterers. A refined environment integrated into the context of the estate, where hospitality is warm, discreet and personalized

In a time when the word “experience” risks losing its meaning, Saffirio restores it to its fullest meaning: that of a profound encounter between wine and those who taste it, between the territory and those who pass through it. An invitation to slow down, listen, understand. And to take with you, at the end of the visit, not only a bottle, but the memory of a shared time, of an authentic story, of a land that lets itself be discovered in small sips.

Sandro Bottega (Bottega Spa), ‘Prosecco is an anti-stress “pill”, ideal after a day of voting’.

“During the Conclave, the ideal wines for the electors to consume are light and savory ones. Therefore, among the structured ones, Chianti and Brunello are the most suitable to drink before the white smoke. Sparkling wines such as Prosecco are instead an excellent option at the end of the daily voting for the election of the new Pope because they act as an anti-stress”, declared Sandro Bottega, wine entrepreneur at the head of the historic company Bottega SpA of Bibano (TV), one of the leaders in Italy for the production of Prosecco . The Conclave that will lead to the election of the successor to Pope Francis will begin today, Wednesday 7 May at 4:30 pm and will last until one of the candidates obtains two thirds of the votes. The cardinal electors, in the meantime, will stay at the Casa Santa Marta where they will consume their meals and every day they will be transferred by bus to the Sistine Chapel for the vote. “For such important days,” explains Sandro Bottega, “we can make some distinctions about the type of wines that could be consumed. Alcohol, obviously, is almost always present in this type of product, but when the wine is of a savory nature it brings wisdom and therefore I recommend a glass of Chianti or Brunello di Montalcino – two red wines – on the occasion of the electors’ meal that will take place on the days of the voting for the new Pope. Sparkling wines like our Prosecco are instead anti-stress because with their bubbles they make the alcohol enter the blood more quickly and bring tranquility. They can therefore be consumed especially at the end of a day of voting on the occasion of the Conclave. Finally, Barolo and Amarone are red wines with a higher alcohol content that combine well with the euphoria for the election of the new Pope and therefore could be consumed after the final white smoke.” The 2013 Conclave for the election of Pope Francis lasted two days, as did the one that led to the pontificate of Benedict XVI in 2005. To find the last Conclave that lasted more than two days, we need to go back to 1978 when the white smoke for Pope John Paul II arrived on the third day. “Regardless of the length of the Conclave, in general we at Bottega Spa advise voters to drink water for breakfast, for lunch, if possible, a glass of non-alcoholic or low-alcohol wine (even better if rosé) if it is an ‘important’ meal; a glass of white wine, even a structured one, if it is a light dish such as a plate of pasta. For dinner we always suggest a savoury red wine such as Chianti and Brunello which gives wisdom in view of the votes or a glass of sparkling wine, from the classic method to prosecco, to be paired according to the foods which is an anti-stress ‘pill’. Finally, for the key day, when the white smoke is near, we recommend drinking a glass of Valdobbiadene Superiore di Cartizze, a slightly sweet Italian sparkling wine and then toasting the end of the Conclave with a glass of Amarone or Barolo, wines with a high alcohol content”, concluded Sandro Bottega, wine entrepreneur and leader of Bottega Spa, among the leaders in Italy for the production of Prosecco.

Villa Navagero Erizzo Rovarè of San Biagio (TV) – 23/25 May 2025.

For its sixth edition, the traveling exhibition Biennale Ville Venete will host a MasterClass dedicated to heroic wines, with particular reference to sparkling wines, in the splendid setting of Villa Navagero Erizzo: “The courage to be unique: the bubbles of extreme lands”. The MasterClass, which will be held on May 25 at 4:00 pm in the historic cellar of the Villa, will present a selection, with tasting, of ten labels of sparkling wines (Charmat method, Classic and Rifermentati) from ten different heroic areas, starting from Veneto, arriving in Sicily and ending with Brazil, with wine aged at sea. The tasting will be led by Alessandra Dinato , creator of the L’Assaggiastorie project (sommelier with a diploma from the London Wine and Spirit Education Trust – WSE), supported by Alvaro De Anna , founder of Vini da Terre Estreme. The wines offered: Toghe Rosse Rosé – 2018 – La Staffa del Quinta (Valpolicella Alta, Veneto) ————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————– Radiosa Aurora – 2020 – Claudio Polesana (Wines of the Dolomites, Veneto) ————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————– His Highness 650 – 2024 – Tenuta Lombardo (Sicily) ————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————– Lumassina di Bosco 2020 – Terrazze Singhie (Western Liguria) ————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————— DueZeroSette Metodo Classico Pigato – 2016 – Tenuta Maffone (Western Liguria) ————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————— Centosanti Metodo Classico Brut – 2018 – Dragone (Basilicata) ————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————— Martina Biagi Metodo Classico 2022 – Biagi (Gran Sasso vineyards, Abruzzo) ———————————————————————————————————————————————————————– Armuar Metodo Classico 2019 – La Sbercia – (Oltre Pò Pavese, Lombardy) ———————————————————————————————————————————————————————– Metodo Classico Miolo 2020 aged at sea – Miolo (Brazil) ———————————————————————————————————————————————————————– Apum Rosato 2021 – Cantine di Nessuno (Etna – Sicily) Places are limited, reservations are required.

Consorzio Barbera d’Asti e Vini del Monferrato in which the initiatives for the month of May are presented, among which the Giro di DOC and the Festa del Ruchè stand out.

The Barbera d’Asti e Vini del Monferrato Consortium is pleased to announce GIRO DI DOC , the initiative dedicated to the promotion of protected denominations, scheduled from May to November. This project will involve local restaurateurs and hoteliers, true ambassadors of the local food and wine heritage, who will promote the wines through exclusive events and presentations.

The promotion of the denominations will take place through dedicated events , with the participation of journalists, professionals and wine lovers, to spread the wine culture of Monferrato and the unique characteristics of each production.

Each month will be dedicated to a specific denomination . Local restaurants will be involved, creating experiential itineraries and targeted gastronomic proposals to best enhance the grape variety and its denomination. The denominations planned for this activity include: Grignolino d’Asti DOC , Piemonte DOC Rosato , Freisa d’Asti DOC , Barbera d’Asti DOCG and its Superiore version, Ruchè di Castagnole Monferrato DOCG , Terre Alfieri DOCG Arneis .

GIRO DI DOC represents an extraordinary opportunity to tell the story of Monferrato through its wines, involving the territory and its protagonists in a journey of passion. Through these promotional initiatives, the Consorzio Barbera d’Asti e Vini del Monferrato renews its commitment to highlighting and supporting the denominations that embody the soul of an incomparable territory. Tradition intertwines with modernity and cultural diffusion, creating opportunities to celebrate not only excellent wines, but also a landscape that tells its story through viticulture. A heritage capable of evolving and continuing to offer new expressions of quality.

Great anticipation for one of the most eagerly awaited events will be the traditional Festa del Ruchè , scheduled for May 17 and 18 , at Tenuta La Mercantile in Castagnole Monferrato – Asti, a unique opportunity to celebrate this wine with distinctive characteristics and strengthen the bond between producers and the public. Ruchè, one of the rarest native vines among those cultivated in the Monferrato Astigiano, comes from dry, calcareous soils subject to high levels of sunlight. Since 1987, the year in which it obtained the DOC denomination, it has recorded constant and progressive appreciation that today makes it an expression of the territory’s identity and variety. It obtained the DOCG in 2010 and its production today reaches one million bottles. Entrance to the splendid rooms of the Tenuta will be free , with tastings for a fee . To accompany the tastings of Ruchè, in a specially set up space, visitors will be able to discover the specialties of the territory prepared by the Pro Loco and some restaurants of Castagnole Monferrato.