Every time we plant a vineyard, we are filled with a new enthusiasm and the strengthening of a promise that has united our family for generations: each new vineyard is a gift and a commitment to those who will come after us.
This time, we went back to the Asinara hill: a well-ventilated spot that yields healthy fruit, at an altitude which, combined with the cooling effect of the woods around it, gives the wines a lower alcohol content.
We have reclaimed a hillside historically cultivated with vines, a beautiful balcony over the village of Rocchetta Tanaro, replanting vineyards that had been uprooted long ago. In a position favourably exposed to the east, south-east and south, this vineyard, which we purchased in 2021, is very sunny and set in a landscape rich in biodiversity, guaranteed by its proximity to the Rocchetta Tanaro Natural Park, a green oasis of 120 hectares that was the first area in the Asti region to be protected, since 1980.
The soil is loose and light, with a predominance of sand mixed with red clay.
We have chosen several Barbera clones and rootstocks suited to this type of soil, with very deep roots.
In three years’ time, the grapes from this new vineyard will be added to the production of San Bernardo, Curej: the youngest of our Barbera wines, fresh and with a contemporary imprint.
The name Curej celebrates its origins (it is the nickname of the families that have always inhabited and cared for this small region of Rocchetta Tanaro, where monks were already practising viticulture in the 18 th century), and its bouquet and palate evoke the vineyard and woodland landscape where it originates: open, vast, simple, happy. This is a Barbera that spends a short time in wood and then matures in the bottle, acquiring freshness and drinkability, with the accentuation of the primary aromas.
“We feel that the ideal destination for Curej is the restaurant table. Curej is a wine that lends itself particularly well to being enjoyed in a restaurant setting, where expert sommeliers can bring out its qualities to the full, with targeted food pairings and evocative presentations. Restaurants are also one of the natural channels for Barbera, a wine that pairs very well with many cuisines from all over the world. For Curej in particular, natural elegance, lightness and a fresh taste make it the perfect wine for serving by the glass” explains Raffaella Bologna, owner of Braida together with her brother Giuseppe.
The first vintage of Curej was 2019; it joins Braida’s other Barbera wines, each of which interprets its specific terroir with great expressiveness: La Monella, Barbera del Monferrato frizzante, and the reserves Montebruna, Bricco dell’Uccellone, Bricco della Bigotta and Ai Suma.
“Barbera is in our DNA” – says Raffaella Bologna – “and this is even truer with Curej”.
Pubblicato il 22 May, 2024