The cultural landscape is a dynamic and living element. It reflects the social and cultural actions of a constantly evolving community. It helps us understand how values associated with cultural heritage change over time. These changes occur across various historical, economic, and social contexts. The definition of landscape as heritage occurs through a process that varies depending on the location and historical period. This concept identifies the uniqueness of places. This uniqueness arises from the interaction between elements such as architecture and environment, as well as art and society. We refer to a cultural landscape when humans have shaped the space, creating a fusion between nature and culture. Among Italy’s most evocative cultural landscapes is the upper Canavese.
This area straddles the borders of Piedmont and Valle d’Aosta, holding a distinguished place with its topie (tupiun in Piedmontese dialect). Farmers cultivate terraced vineyards with dry stone walls, training vines on pergolas.
The pergola canavese
This cultivation system, known as pergola canavese, is supported by pilum (pillars) located at the edges of the terraces. To appreciate the beauty we’re discussing, imagine the ruins of a Greek temple or those of ancient Rome. Unfortunately, many ancient cultivation techniques, including the pergola canavese, risk replacement by more modern and profitable methods. The dry stone walls of the terraces and the stone pillars require constant maintenance, using traditional techniques known only to a few specialized artisans.
As a result, many producers have completely abandoned their terraces. This abandonment leads to an immeasurable loss for the cultural landscape, as well as for historical, enological, and hydrogeological heritage. The dry stone walls prevent water runoff and allow the cultivation of slopes that would otherwise remain abandoned. This practice contributes to the stability of entire mountain slopes.
The morainic amphitheatre of Ivrea
This reference to the cultural landscape of upper Canavese, combined with the morainic amphitheatre of Ivrea (AMI), allows us to position the denominations Caluso DOCG, Carema DOC, and Canavese DOC within a truly extraordinary natural context. The AMI is a glacially originated morainic relief that covers over 500 km². It extends across the provinces of Turin, Biella, and Vercelli. It is one of the best-preserved geomorphological units of its kind in the world, an ideal area for vine cultivation.
The terroir of Canavese
The Canavese terroir features extremely poor, acidic soils typical of morainic hills. These soils contain large boulders, pebbles, sands, silts, and minimal clay. They result from the erosive activity of the great Balteo glacier, which deposited residual material in the adjacent Canavese plain. The microclimate is mild, shielded by hills and balanced by the presence of numerous lakes.
On the hills, typical Mediterranean vegetation flourishes, including olive trees, prickly pears, and agave. The area benefits from a constant breeze generated by the nearby Aosta Valley Alps and experiences excellent temperature variations between day and night. Winters are cold, relatively humid, and with little rainfall, while summers are warm and sunny until September. Average annual precipitation is about 900 mm, spread over an average of 75 days, primarily occurring in spring and summer.
The history and role of the consortium
The Caluso-Carema-Canavese Consortium plays a crucial role in promoting knowledge of this wine-producing, agricultural, and rural territory. It highlights the unique landscape, environmental, historical, and cultural characteristics of the area. Additionally, the Consortium is dedicated to protecting and enhancing the wines of Caluso DOCG, Carema, and Canavese DOC. Among its activities is the promotion of local cuisine and gastronomy, alongside the development of local tourism.
The Erbaluce Carema Consortium started in 1991. It evolved from the Wine Protection and Enhancement Center of Caluso. This center was founded in 1986 by seven vintners. In 1996, its jurisdiction expanded to include DOC Carema, and in 1998 to DOC Canavese, the latest addition to its oversight. The Caluso DOCG, Carema, and Canavese DOC Protection and Enhancement Consortium currently brings together 38 members, representing 90% of the producers within the denomination. The region has three social wineries established since the last century, with around 350 grape growers.
The Consortium actively facilitates generational transitions among entrepreneurs. Many of these entrepreneurs pursue professional growth in the wine industry as a second occupation. In 2020, a group of passionate winemakers established the Young Canavese Vintners Association. It now includes 23 companies that produce 85,000 bottles across 52 hectares of vineyard
Revitalizing abandoned vineyards and the future of Canavese wines
Just a few years ago, local businesses revitalized abandoned vines. This effort resulted in high-quality wines that showcase the unique Canavese terroir. The favorable climate and soil composition contribute significantly to the wines’ character. The soil includes a mix of sands from various minerals with diverse rocky origins from the Aosta Valley Alps.
Appellations, wines and grapes
Erbaluce di Caluso DOCG
Erbaluce is a white grape variety primarily cultivated using the pergola system (locally known as topia), but also with trellis systems and Guyot pruning. The production regulations currently outline three types: Erbaluce di Caluso DOCG white still, Erbaluce di Caluso DOCG Metodo Classico, and Erbaluce di Caluso DOCG Passito.
The still version is undoubtedly one of the most attractive and intriguing Italian white wines available today.
In its youthful version, released the year following harvest, but even better if aged for at least an additional year, it presents itself as a contemporary white wine, characterized by both drinkability and depth and versatility; moreover, it is gastronomic, enhancing the pleasure of pairing with food.
For those passionate and unwavering white wine enthusiasts, this wine reveals its magnificence after a few years of ageing, showcasing tertiary notes of great complexity.
The versatility of Erbaluce, which, thanks to its pronounced acidity, lends itself beautifully to sparkling wine production. For enthusiasts like myself who appreciate prolonged aging on the lees (48 months or more), one can discover products of remarkable finesse and complexity, capable of securing a place among Italy’s finest sparkling wines.
The passito version
The Passito version once again underscores the grape’s versatility: after careful selection, the bunches undergo a drying period in well-ventilated rooms, known as passitaie, where they are laid out on racks or hung by their stems for a period of 3 to 5 months (the drying must last until achieving a sugar content of no less than 29%) before pressing begins.
From November 1 following the harvest, at least three years must pass before commercialization, as stipulated by the regulations (four years for the Erbaluce di Caluso Passito Riserva). I firmly believe that the only way to revive great Italian passito wines in general, and certainly the passito version of Erbaluce di Caluso, is to have fun with pairings. Forget sweet with sweet; try it with foie gras, cheeses, and finger foods, daring to experiment as Francesco Intorcia did with his Marsalas, achieving nothing short of astonishing results.
Carema Doc
Carema DOC wine is produced using two local varieties of the Nebbiolo grape: picutener and pugnet, cultivated in the lands between the morainic rocks of Carema, bordering Valle d’Aosta. The cultivation of these grapes has stubbornly developed on the slopes of Monte Maletto, between 350 and 700 meters in altitude, thanks to painstaking and labour-intensive terracing. The vineyards of Carema are characterized by pergolas supported by conical-shaped stone pillars, known as pilun: during the day, they absorb heat and release it at night, providing the vines with optimal growing conditions.
All phases of winemaking, storage, and aging occur in the production area, encompassing the entire municipality of Carema and the Ivery district of the municipality of Pont Saint Martin. The minimum aging for Carema is 24 months, 12 of which must be in oak or chestnut barrels with a maximum capacity of 40 hectoliters (in the Riserva version, aging lasts at least 36 months, 12 of which are in wood).
Canavese Doc
The regulations for the DOC Canavese outline the following types: Canavese DOC Rosso, Canavese DOC Rosso Novello, Canavese DOC Rosato, Canavese DOC Barbera, Canavese DOC Nebbiolo, Canavese DOC Bianco, Canavese Bianco Spumante, and Canavese Rosato Spumante. The grape varieties used include Nebbiolo, Barbera, Bonarda, Freisa, Neretto, Uva Rara, and Erbaluce. Historically, Canavese has always been a region where many black grape varieties were cultivated, often within the same vineyard. This ancient tradition is evident in the red wines that bear the Canavese DOC label, which are the result of blends of various grapes.
After tasting a good number of references, it is undoubtedly the upper Canavese that impresses, positioning itself among Italy’s great terroirs; less renowned than the Langhe and Roero, yet, thankfully, it offers the opportunity to discover an unexplored Piemonte, vibrant and far from monotonous, with stunning beauty owing to its topie and the capacity to produce expressive red wines of great fullness.
In conclusion, the cultural landscape of upper Canavese represents not only an invaluable enological heritage but also an example of an exceptional wine territory. We must pay due attention to these areas, working for their preservation, protection, and enhancement to preserve an identity that has formed over centuries, a dialogue that allows us to experience the beauty of these lands, their wines, and their flavors.
The consortium in numbers.
President: Bartolomeo Merlo
Members: 38
Total bottles produced: 1.300.259 bottiglie totali
Ettari vitati
Total hectares: 472,9
Erbaluce DOCG hectars: 260,39 (Yield per hectar:11t/ha)
Carema Doc hectares: 19,95 (Yield per hectar: 8 t/ha)
Canavese Doc hectares: 192,56
Yield per hectare:
Canavese Doc rosso, Canavese Doc Rosso novello, Canavese Doc Rosato e Rosato Spumante, Canavese Doc Barbera: 11 t/ha
Canavese Doc Bianco e Bianco Spumante 12 t/ha;
Bottled wine production
Erbaluce di Caluso DOCG 2023
- total bottles 964.382
- still white 839.679 bottles
- Classic Method 99.673 bottles
- Passito 24.940 bottles
Carema DOC 2023
- 68.484 bottles
Canavese DOC 2023
- 267.333 bottles
Source: https://ilcapochiave.it/2019/05/21/le-topie-i-vigneti-terrazzati-dellalto-canavese/