Organoleptic characteristics: It is a wine with an intense red garnet color, with hints of rose and violet, notes of licorice, vanilla, dark spices and undergrowth. In the mouth it is important, austere, with a good body and thick and elegant tannins. Historical-cultural information and curiosities: Mario Soldati, in his famous book Vino al Vino, defined the Gattinara wine as "the most worthy and noble Italian wine" and there is no reason to doubt that, at the time, it was really one of the few absolute excellences of Italy. Today the denomination has been joined by many other excellences throughout the country, but its quality has never failed, but its notoriety and diffusion have decreased, because luckily its area has not been enlarged and distorted like happened to other successful territories. The area is geologically very particular for its climate and soil, with ground and hills arising from the debris eroded during the melting of the glaciers of the Monte Rosa chain that took place 150 million of years ago. It has a mineralogical composition typical of the Alps with Granite, porphyry, quartz, and iron minerals that give the ground its characteristic red color. The climate is typical of the mounts' feet, milder and drier than the one of the plain, with broad temperature excursions - that accentuate the aromas of grapes - and a daily ventilation due to the winds that originate from the Alps. Serving suggestions: Excellent for the preparation and accompaniment of the "Risotto alla Gattinara". It is served with red meats, stews, roasts and cheese. Production area: Gattinara has a production area reduced to a part of the town of Gattinara, in the province of Vercelli, for a total of 95 hectares of land planted with vineyards. Grape varieties allowed for its production: This DOCG is produced with Nebbiolo or Spanna (Lampia variety) with the possible addition of Vespolina (for a maximum of 4%) or Uva Rara (for a maximum of 10%), provided that these varieties do not exceed 10% of the total.
