It was a reunion of sorts. We were invited to meet up with the Consorzio Tutela Vini from Oltrepo Pavese in Boston at Forcella in the north end at the beginning of October. It was close to one year from the day I had first visited the region and had been wowed by the beautiful countryside, quaint inns and the extraordinary wine being made in this region. Fortunately for me they were visiting Boston and we were able to reunite and taste some amazing wines, some that even still aren’t available in the US.
Oltrepo Pavese is a region that is in transition. They are located between Piedmont and Emilia-Ramagna and have been rediscovering themselves and putting out very high quality wine from some excellent vineyard sites. They had been known for the largest volume of wine in Italy however in the recent past, many volume sites have been ripped out in favor of growing clean hand-crafted wines, small batches, for exceptional quality. There have been associations for quality in the region dating back to the 1930’s, with a big push in the 70’s and within the last 10 years, huge advancements have been made. If you are looking for high quality with a good price point, this region is it. I would look for the metodo classico, their Pinot Nero and I also loved their reislings. If they were to choose additional offerings, they are making Bonarda from Croatina, Barbera and many others.
Next article, reviews from the wines I sampled.https://www.vinotripping.com/2023/10/20/oltrepo-pavese-ca-di-frara-docg-metodo-classico-pinot-nero-t4/
