Gabiano DOC: two municipalities and the hills of Po

The path towards Gabiano introduces a margin of Monferrato Casalese in which the hill compares with the plain. The landscape expands and the river becomes a reference to read the location of the countries. It is a different perspective from that of the inner villages: the crops and the inhabited ones are inserted in a landscape that opens the gaze towards a broader horizon.

The stop at Moncestino allows you to complete the knowledge of the two municipalities of the denomination. The journey can be short in the distance and rich in observations: a stop in the country, a look from the slopes and the connection through the countryside help to place the vineyards. The small scale of the area makes the relationship between the label and the places immediate, which become easy to remember references.

The castle of Gabiano is one of the references to the landscape and local history. Its position above the Po valley binds the building to the reading of the territory, while the account of the property interweaves family events and wine activities. The wine thus enters a wider history of residence, work and transformations, preserving a relationship with the spaces of the castle and with the surrounding countryside.

The production and storage of bottles offer continuity between different ages. The story of the cellars makes visible the passage from grapes to wine and the value attributed to the time of conservation. During a visit to Gabiano you can follow this thread without separating the glass from the place: the castle, the vineyards and the rooms of the winery are part of an exploration.

The Gabiano ampelographic base includes Barbera from 90 to 95%, accompanied by Freisa and Grignolino. The dominant presence of Barbera offers a clear key, while the other grapes belong to Piedmont's wine culture. The composition maintains a main voice and inserts it into a local tradition of assembly, other than that of a wine obtained from a single grape.

To know a bottle, follow the balance between freshness and body. Barbera invites you to observe the energy of the sip, while the path of winemaking and refinement defines its articulation. The tasting can be accompanied by the story of vintage and vineyards: these elements make the work of the producer more legible. The name also includes the Riserva mention, which opens a further perspective on wine time.

A table with first meat, slowly cooked preparations and cheese offers different meetings with Gabiano. The richness of the dishes allows to follow the contribution of freshness, while persistent flavors give space to the structure. Lunch can complete a day between Gabiano and Moncestino, bringing back the references of the landscape just crossed.

The nearest comparison is the Ruby of Cantavenna, linked to an area that also includes these places and a different balance between the grapes. The Barbera del Monferrato instead opens a broader horizon. Three names allow you to understand how a same variety can tell geographies of different scale, from the small denomination to an extended territory.

Ending the route with a view of the countryside helps to keep together the two municipalities. The name Gabiano remains associated with a concrete landscape, in which wine finds origin, work and memory.