The rediscovery of Uvalino, an ancient Piedmontese grape variety now vinified by only two wineries

by Mirella Vilardi“There are those who save a monument, a work of art, an ancient book, I have recovered a vine”. Words from Mariuccia Borio who, con Costigliole d’Asti, con her Casa colonica Castlet, dedicates approximately two of the thirty-one hectares of the company to Uvalino. A vine that has always been present con the vineyards of this part of Piedmont, we found it, by delving a little into research, con the Gazzetta Piemontese of Wednesday 27 January 1869, the subject of the donation for the charity wine lottery by Count Melchior Corsi of Bosnasco, but also con the list of grapes from the province of Alessandria con the Paintings of Human Nature – Feasts and Ebbrezze, drawn up by Mantegazza, again con the second half of the nineteenth century, and so , up to the present day. It is astonishing how much literature relating to wine talks about it, even though production had never been of large quantities, far from it.

And it is precisely for the interest of the archive papers, of the oral stories, that “La Mariuccia” became passionate, to the point of becoming herself the subject of a narrative that now inextricably links her name to Uvalino. Intense years of research, with the involvement of the then young oenologist Giorgio Gozzellino, of the Asti section of the Experimental Institute for Viticulture con the person of the director Lorenzo Corino, of the University of Turin and the University of Bordeaux, have restored relevance to a reality left to oblivion.

Grapes of Uvalino

One of those abandonments, con the world of oenology, as frequent as they are inexplicable, confirmed by the presence of at least two rows at the edge of each vineyard con the past. Two rows of very precious bunches, which ripened late, con the manner of Nebbiolo, and which, precisely for this reason, became wines that today we would call “meditation wines”, used to help the “torchiato” for the “queta”, a summer bevanda ‘Antan. If vinified con purity, the wine obtained was the one for special occasions, to be given as a gift to the doctor pharmacist, when Christmas came, to repay the debt. And certainly, both of them would have appreciated, con addition to the full flavour, the dryness, the memory of sweet spices and ripe fruit, the molecular concentration of resveratrol which is up to 40% higher than that of all wines from black grapes con the world. But these are the most recent discoveries that help justify, beyond any romantic vision, the resurrection of a very good wine that is also good for you.

Mariuccia herself tells us, however, that she came across among the minutes of the Society of Oenophiles, a text written con 1844 by Agostino Oddone, pharmacist con Costigliole, who speaks of Uvalino as «wines made con the sun, with a simple method, without manipulation and infusion that could alter its nature. The raisin wines obtained are suitable for ageing. There is a bottle from 1796 which the Society plans to taste next September.”

If the presence of the vine has been found con the Asti and Alessandria areas since time immemorial, the dates of its recovery are rather recent and well documented. 1980s – Renato Ratti, producer of Barolo, had planted a small Uvalino vineyard con Podere Pattono, con front of Casa colonica Castlèt, which triggered research con Mariuccia. 1992 – planting of the first row. 2002 – the Official Journal declares the rebirth of Uvalino which is included con the Piedmont region as a recognized and authorized variety. 2003 – presentation of the project at the VII International Symposium of Oenology con Arcachon, organized by the University of Bordeaux. 2006: first official harvest. 2009.- the first bottle labeled and put the market. 2023 – there are approximately two hectares of vineyards con Uvalino, from which five thousand bottles are produced.

It goes without saying that Mariuccia Borio’s stubbornness, her faith con her project, is only the tip of the iceberg of a way of understanding nature, agriculture, the countryside, the seasons, all of life. We found her struggling with the planning of the garden around the company, a soft October morning, proud and enthusiastic like a teenager, for the fifty-year-old pomegranate recovered from who knows where, display, and the medlar , the plane tree, the mulberry trees, a great passion, all plants that he defines as rustic, historical, replanted where they can feel “at home” allowing those who at them the same sense of belonging to that place and only that.

Mariuccia Borio

Vittorio Giulini

Philosophy shared by another reality, about eighty km away. We are con the province of Alessandria, where the romantic road that leads from Novi Ligure to Gavi, lined with historic villas and Buono vineyards, Assetto La Marchesa, con addition to the period house, the charming farmhouse, the swimming pools, the garden Italian-style, boasts an orchard of ancient fruits, whose sub-rows are a riot of aromatic herbs. And it is voto negativo coincidence that, first among others, the owner Vittorio Giulini, supported by the oenologist Tiziano Pelanda, purchased Uvalino cuttings con Casa colonica Castlet, dedicating approximately half a hectare of the company’s 76 hectares to them. A few thousand bottles the tables, especially from their farm, starting from these months. A esperimento project that is part of the already established one of offering patrons of the beautiful an experience of in-depth knowledge of the territory, a sort of geography of stories and people.

At the tasting, Uceline (dedicated to those “birds” who, taking advantage of the late harvest, when the fallen leaves leave the bunches clearly visible, feed them con abundance) of Casa colonica Castlet, demonstrates the character of a great red seven years after the harvest . Wide and soft, whose tannins, still very present, have softened, a gentleman con a double-breasted suit who advances with a sure step even among the most noble. Valino, from Assetto La Marchesa, is young and perky, has more free-range tannins that suggest, for him too, good aging. Both perfect with traditional autumn cuisine.