Ca' di Press
Piedmont
The vineyard and cellar work truly is a family affair and when speaking about family, this also importantly includes the place they are from, Perno. Alice & Cristina's grandparents have owned land in La Morra and Monforte since 1900 historically were a farming family that sold their grapes. Their father, Bruno, has spent most of his career overseeing and working their 7.5ha estate. He knows the land, the vineyards, and the grapes like the back of his hand. When Alice and Cristina decided to get involved in the family business, they didn't do so by fully taking over, but rather working together with their father, seeking to absorb the amounts of of knowledge he had that could be passed along, the depths of which couldn't just happen overnight.
Historically, the family sold off all of their grapes and kept a small amount for family and friends. Little by little, they have stopped selling their grapes and are now producing 3 of their 7.5ha, and trying to create in the bottle, what Perno is to them. 2018 was the first vintage they vinified at home and decided to sell themselves. The oldest vines in Perno were planted in 1960 - Nebbiolo, Dolcetto, and Barbera. Their production is slowly increasing along with the winery!
The history of Ca' di Press begins in the early 1900s, driven by love for nature, and also by necessity. An activity borne of a close bond with their territory and linked to the atmosphere of when wine was made for family, friends and for a few customers who often ended up becoming friends, too. This is where their name Cà di Press takes its inspiration from - in Piedmontese dialect this means “House of the Pressenda” - to them their wine is passion but above all it is home. Even though their family is by no means new to Perno, they are on a new journey together, one that fits seamlessly with Thatcher's Imports.
Viticulture and Vinification
All of their wines are fully de-stemmed. Right now, fermentation is happening in stainless steel tanks. The Langhe Nebbiolo and Barbera only see stainless steel. They believe the wine is a bit more sensitive to the wood and can easily become overpowered, and its best expression comes from absence of wood. They have recently started working with new foudres from two coopers, Garbellotto and Pauscha. To reduce the impact of the new wood, they chose Slavonian oak casks (25-30 HL). Right now, they are trying to be as hands-off as possible in the winery, letting the grapes take their own course, and simply overseeing the fermentation and aging and making decisions to best keep control and identity.
