Ballabio - Oltrepò Pavese

The winery dates back to 1905, when Angelo Ballabio set himself the task of producing the best sparkling wine in the style of champagne and purely from Pinot Noir grapes, which find ideal conditions here. Among many other honours, he was awarded the highest award by the Duke of Aosta in 1931.

The Nevelli family has been running the business since 1987, always with one goal in mind: excellence. in 2021, Gambero Rosso awarded them the title of "Sparkling Wine of the Year" for the Cave Privée.

Incidentally, the brand is called Farfalla - butterfly - because of the shape of the best vineyard:

see the picture below

Click here for the Spumante from Ballabio

Oltrepò Pavese is located in western Lombardy, where Piedmont, Liguria and Emilia meet. This wine-growing region lies on the 45th parallel and is therefore just as far from the North Pole as it is from the equator - a peculiarity it shares with Bordeaux, Georgia and the Napa Valley. The freshness of the north is perfectly balanced here with the sun of the south - ideal conditions for Pinot Nero. Added to this is the perfect soil composition with marl, limestone and gypsum, which on the one hand ensures a high water storage capacity, but also creates moderate drought stress due to its permeability. This in turn favours a wonderful balance of acidity and sugar, as well as dense aromas.