Before even popping the screw cap of Silvia’s ‘Fresh’ Rosso, one has to assume that we’re in for a juicy, vibrant, no frills take on the region, and it’s safe to say that the juice inside delivers on an inherent promise of minimal ‘serious’ factor and high ‘delicious’ factor. A blend of Croatina, Barbera and Pinot Nero, the ‘Fresh’ sees an uber brief 5-day maceration before being pressed off into tank. The result is a vibrantly gluggable expression of the Oltrepo that is less so geared toward a serious dinner accompaniment, and more so toward whetting your whistle as vegetables are chopped and proteins are seasoned in preparation for the meal ahead. Plush and candy-inflected red fruits, cool and clean forest foliage, and oolong tea spice bring voice to the earthy and dark personality of the Oltrepo as much as it does the wine's youthful fruit. Pop and chug… respectfully.
Those of you regular to the shelves (or online ‘shelves’ as it may be) of Biondivino over the past 3-4 years would have no doubt engaged with, or at least browsed over, the delicious and soulful wines of our beloved Oltrepo Pavese naturalistas, Castello di Stefanago. The brains, brawn and beauty behind the Emilia Pennac project, Silvia Giani, also happens to be the wife of one of Stefanago’s head stewards, Jacopo Burrafaldi. In short, it’s all in the family! Having taken ownership of her parents' small, certified organic property not but 10 miles from the Stefanago castle, Silvia set about crafting wines in their tiny cellar, drawing inspiration, understanding and technical guidance from her husband’s hands-off approach to wine in an effort to capture a feel and a style that hallmarked so many of the joyful and agrarian wines that emanated from the Oltrepo throughout its winemaking heyday in the 1960s and 70s.