For Valentine’s Day, Collin and I visited a cozy, family-owned winery, Fontechiara, located in the Northern Piedmont region.
We arrived to the winery and were greeted by one of the owners. In the quant, Italian, country home nestled on the hilltop of Santa Cristina, in the city of Borgomanero, we stayed for 4 hours! The wife and husband who lived on the property, welcomed us into their cottage which housed their stainless steel tanks, wine barrels, tasting room and shop.
Wine Tasting
The wine tasting was exceptional! If you are looking for a family-style, all you can drink and enjoy, Fontechiara should be on your list! The wines are nearly all vegan or organically made, and a fully vegan wine tasting option is available!
We had 4 – 6 different wines for the tasting, which included the Prosecco, Nebbiolo, Vespolina, and Rosé, all great wines. The pours were heavier than your average tasting. Instead, we received a full glass of wine, if not more, to enjoy. Therefore, it should be noted that Fontechiara did not seem to have a limit to the number of glasses you can try. They were to refill our glass with any of the wines we had already tried and liked.
The Rosé (named La Nonna, which means grandmother in Italian, was the inspiration behind the wine), is by far the BEST. And not just the best Rosé at Fontechiara, but the best Rosé we have ever had!
That is a bold statement I know…but after introducing La Nonna Rosé to our friends, they have agreed as well. We already need to go back for a 2nd or 3rd case lol.
Food
The second best part of Fontechiara is they serve you family-style amounts of food! We had plates and plates of food to keep our bellies full as we downed more wine. We had plates of vegetable pizza, bread with gorgonzola, cheese plates, meat plates, and coffee. You should go to Fontechiara hungry because you will receive a very large spread, even for 2 people!
Winery/Vineyard
What I found most interesting, was the winemaking methods Fontechiara uses are especially committed to the lunar moon phases. Certain steps of the winemaking process were carried out during specific moon phases while business operations stopped on full moon phases. The wine receives a special, intentional care throughout the life cycle of both the wine and moon.
The winery uses mainly organic products and materials when it comes to fertilizing and caring for the vineyard. Many of the wines available are vegan and have little or no chemicals in the fermentation process.
Also available for purchase are beauty products made from the recycled Nebbiolo grape skins, disregarded in the wine making process. I picked up an exfoliate, hand and body cream, and amazing smelling candles, which each had the grape skin incorporated within.
The candle was actually a candle holder, allowing you to reuse time and time again by placing your own disposable candle into the middle of the holder. It last year long and smells the same for every use! (A MUST BUY PRODUCT!)
The candles are handmade by a local family businesses. They take the grape skins to their neighbor’s candle business, who then shapes Fontechiara’s candles into the beauty that they are today.
And the same goes for all of the lotions, perfumes, and food. The cheeses and meats are all bought from the local farmers as well. I love how the winery supports their nearby family businesses and recycles their products.
Service
The service was amazing. Likely due to the unlimited pours and the large amounts of food, the owners were very attentive to our needs. If you’re lucky, you will meet the Dachshund who also lives on the property and likes to roam about the tasting room and vineyard on his own pace.
Fontechiara is also available for large group events and will even help arrange transportation and live music to the property for your visit.
Ambiance
The winery has an elegant and cozy feel. With exposed brick and comforting table clothes and curtains, the room is warmed from the sunlight peaking through the windows and fall colors within.
Fontechiara has both an indoor and outdoor option for your reservation. We opted for the indoor option with the cold weather but we will likely go back again with friends for an outdoor visit in the summer.
Overall, a very fun experience. We drank so much wine that we decided to walk into the local town to explore and sober up lol.
So, if you are looking for a hometown, family-style winery I would highly suggest Fontechiara! Be prepared to eat and drink a lot!
