Braida

Braida ‘s History and Philosophy

Nothing could be less normal, indeed totally abnormal, than the re-invention of a wine, modifying the peculiarities and criteria that made it characteristic. Stranger still is if this happens in the case of a wine with centuries of history behind it, tens of thousands of hectares of grapes planted and millions of liters produced in each vintage. The wine referred to is Barbera del Piemonte, which could easily be called “the people’s wine”, the table wine of a region where meals consumed with water or other non-alcoholic drinks are considered a real anomaly.

Until not long ago, Barbera grapes represented about half of the region’s wine production; the situation has changed somewhat in recent decades, but the importance of this variety in the region’s economy and lifestyle are not in question. In the period before the Second World War, Barbera was so abundant that wine was free in local bars and taverns: consumers paid for the table covers and wine was brought for free. Much of the production was in fact intended for taverns.

But this happened before Giacomo Bologna of Rocchetta Tanaro in the province of Asti decided that it was time to change, convinced as it was that with due care in the vineyards and a more prudent work in the cellars, Barbera could also prove that it was, at least potentially , a noble grape and that its wines could have found place in the wine list of elegant and classy restaurants and in prestigious wine shops. Years of work, travel and study, often in the company of Luigi Veronelli , the most famous Italian wine and food critic, led to this belief, which was soon put into practice.

The wines of Braida

Reduced vineyard yields, careful fermentations and well-calculated aging in small oak barrels did the rest, and the result was the surprising Bricco dell’Uccellone , which landed on critics and consumers unprepared as a sudden cannon shot. He was then accompanied by two other Barbera super offers: Bricco della Bigotta and Ai Suma . The children of Bologna faithfully and uncompromisingly follow his brilliant advice and example.

Bricco dell’Uccellone