CASA VALLONA
Bees are one of the symbols chosen by Chiara Battistini to celebrate the new life of Casa Vallona, their contribution is vital, especially in the orchard.
Bees
The beehives are located just a few metres up the hill from the entrance to Casa Vallona. Originally, there were three, now there are nine already. “It was one of my certainties. When I conceived my project and took part in ReStartApp bees were disappearing. So, I decided to choose them as a symbol for the new life of the property. Today, I produce a small quantity of honey, but the main thing is the presence of bees, which has contributed to giving the orchard and the entire holding a new lease of life. Over the years, I have been able to see a considerable increase in the number of flowers and fruits” says Chiara Battistini.
Fruit trees – ancient varieties of plums and apples – are scattered across the property. Chiara is working to identify more, with the help of the Bologna-based research centre. When the fruits are ripe, they are transformed into jams for staying guests and are available for purchase by those guests who are looking to take a little of Casa Vallona home with them.
Another one is wine. As from this year, there are 3 labels on the shelves: Vincenzo, a single-varietal wine made from Barbera grapes; Virgilio, a sparkling Pignoletto; and Virginia, a still Pignoletto. The vineyard, located a few hundred metres from the house, is rented. Clayey, poor and eroded, the soil has a good level of salinity. “The grapes are exceptional” explains Chiara Battistini.
The grapes are exceptional
Monte San Pietro has been known as the town of wine as from the 15th century, representing the eastern ‘frontier’ of the Barbera vine, popular across the whole of Piedmont and in Emilia, on the Apennines across the provinces of Piacenza and Parma. In the cellar, old wooden tablets list the grape varieties traditionally grown at Casa Vallona: Albana, Barbera, Pignoletto. “It was from up here that during the 16th century set off the brentatore, the person who decided the wine price for the city of Bologna and, thus, for the entire region” says Chiara. At Casa Vallona, they have chosen to produce a natural, ‘ancestral’ wine. So, how do they do that? “Fermentation occurs spontaneously, thanks to the yeasts that grow on the grapes and the shoots (the so-called graspa). Vincenzo is made only with grapes; the graspa, instead, contains a lot of tannins which are useful to preserve the wine, creating the ideal condition for aging”. The first harvest took place in 2016, with the grapes picked at Casa Vallona transformed into wine by TerraQuilia, a company based at Guiglia, on the Modena Apennines, that has been using this ancient method for years.
