BONARDA Oltrepò Pavese DOC GRAPES Croatina 90%, Barbera 10% PRODUCTION AREA Cultivated in vineyards owned by the Calvi family, situated on the hills of the Versa Valley in the communes of Canneto Pavese and Montù Beccaria. SOIL TYPES The soils found in our vineyards are predominantly clay and calcareous in nature. They possess a alkaline pH throughout, with elevated potential for cationic exchange. EXPOSUR: East to west ALTITUDE: From 140m to 200m above sea-level. GRADIENT: From 22% to 25% METHODS OF TRAINING Cordon training with simple Guyot pruning, typical of the region. The vineyards are planted with about 4800 vines per hectare. THE HARVEST After elimination of excess leaves to improve exposure of the bunches to the sun and careful assessment of ripening, the grapes are harvested by hand. VINIFICATION The grapes are picked into crates, de-stemmed and gently crushed. They are then macerated on the skins in stainless steel vats with manual punching down of the cap at controlled temperatures of between 28 – 30° C for ten to twelve days. The must is then racked to separate it from the pomace and soft-pressed, and after malo-lactic fermentation, is transferred into stainless steel vats at a constant temperature. It is bottled in an inert atmosphere and undergoes natural re-fermentation in bottle, rendering it slightly sparkling. CHARACTERISTICS Rich ruby-red in colour, it possesses an intense and fragrant perfume with notes of violets, bitter almonds, tart Amarena cherries, plums, berries; the flavour is dry, soft, stimulating and slightly sparkling. MATCHING WITH FOOD Salami, sausages, meat-filled ravioli, white meats and cheeses. Serve at 18° C.