26 May 2020
With almost 60 hectares of vineyards in the Gattinara area, Travaglini represents the most important winery of the denomination.
In order to lean more courageously towards the future, one must have his feet firmly planted in his past.
Just like Giancarlo Travaglini who, towards the end of the 1950s, decided to put his life, passion and all his determination in bringing Gattinara back to its former glory, honouring the efforts and devotion of his grandfather Clemente and his father Arturo to this territory. It is said that Giancarlo made a bet with fate: in an area of Piedmont where the vineyards are supported “a maggiorino” (meaning that they use a pergola system) to produce large quantities of crops, he was the first to introduce the Guyot, perform selection of the gems and practice thinning. They thought that he was out of his mind: wine was considered an everyday food, thus quality is but a secondary aspect. Giancarlo said he was ready to retract only if history had contradicted him. But that did not happen.
Today, the Travaglini family, now in its fifth generation, preserves the same passion as Giancarlo, the same sheath and the same vision. At a time that is certainly not easy for viticulture, Cinzia Travaglini, her husband Massimo Collauto and their daughters Alessia and Carolina continue to invest in the territory, planning an expansion of their vineyards that will bring them to almost 60 hectares of property, all within the Gattinara denomination.
To learn more about Travaglini and its incredible wine heritage, we interviewed the owner, Cinzia Travaglini, and her daughter Alessia, who recently joined the company to handle marketing and communications.
Cinzia and Alessia Travaglini: your vineyards represent more than half of the entire vineyard area of the Gattinara denomination, an important responsibility.
It's true. At present, Travaglini is the winery with the widest vineyard area within the denomination. A responsibility that we have proudly accepted, never ceasing to believe and invest in our extraordinary territory. All our vineyards are cultivated with Nebbiolo, the main grape variety in Piedmont, which we vinify to produce traditional wines such as Gattinara DOCG, Nebbiolo Coste della Sesia DOC; but also two “innovative” ones: Metodo Classico Nebolé, made by collecting only the tips of the bunches, and Sogno, thus called after a dream my father Giancarlo had, a Nebbiolo vinified after drying the grapes on racks for 100 days. We were one of the first wineries in the area to believe that the vineyards of Gattinara could produce quality rather than quantity, choosing meticulous vinification processes capable of enhancing the purity of the wines and the peculiarities that the “Spanna”, as Nebbiolo is called in Alto Piemonte, manages to bring out from our terroir.
How does Gattinara terroir differ from that of the Langhe or Roero?
If the marly and sandy soil of southern Piedmont originates from an ancient seabed, the hills of Gattinara directly derive from extinct volcanoes. The soil is extremely rich since it is the result of lava flows, so colour and composition are highly heterogeneous. For example, while ploughing our Ronchi vineyard, we have found purple porphyry, dark brown granite rock and typical black basalt. This abundance in minerals, together with a dry and highly ventilated microclimate, thanks to the breeze from Monte Rosa, endows Gattinara’s Nebbiolo with incredible finesse, classic and graceful elegance, but also a marked freshness. Consider that our “classic” Gattinara DOCG perfectly pairs with delicate meat dishes and also with white fish.
Why should a wine tourist visit northern Piedmont?
The oenological richness of northern Piedmont can be seen through the landscape. In an area of a few kilometres, we have the volcanic hills of Gattinara, Boca and Bramaterra, the fluvio-glacial hills of Ghemme and the sandy soil of Lessona: each area produces its own wine using the same Nebbiolo grape, but the results are very different. But northern Piedmont is also interesting for its strategic position: to the north, we have Valsesia and the ski resorts of Monte Rosa; while the rice fields of Vercelli and the city of Milan are located towards the south; lastly, we have Biella, the mountains of Oropa, Ivrea and Turin to the west. And in 20 minutes, you can reach the most enchanting lakes in northern Italy: Lake Orta and Lake Maggiore.
How do you welcome visitors at the cellar?
For over 10 years, we have been well-organized for winery visits that we personally oversee. We offer different types of tours, based on our clients’ needs: guided cellar tours and tastings, even vertical tastings of our wines. We pay close attention to personal relationships: what really matters to us is being able to convey that there is a story behind every bottle, and behind every story are dreams, hopes, struggles and risks that certain people have taken for this territory and for their future.
And in this moment of social distancing?
Now more than ever, we strive to enhance the lively aspect of wine which, fortunately, will never fade out: we participate in online tastings, webinars and, in the near future, we will enhance online communication and the use of social network, perhaps organizing a virtual tour of our vineyards. But we will never forgo personal and direct relationships: those who drink our wines get in touch with our history. Wine then becomes a tool for storytelling, for keeping in touch and sharing, no matter the distance that separates.
