Maybe the name itself, Oltrepò, meaning (beyond the Pò River), evokes a sense of exile which cuts it off from northern Lombardy. Italians either call it the Tuscany of the north, or the old Piedmont.
Perhaps it is due to the industrial Lombardy region more occupied with affairs in Milan and less with their pristine countryside preserved for their "buon ritiro" in the elegant villas and castles that dot the landscape.
The city of Pavia, once the seat of the Longobard empire, is known for its goldsmiths which served Italian royalty through the reign of the Savoys.
The area is home to the Stradivarius and some of the world's best tailors. The place exudes an innate elegance and the exacting precision typical of the outstanding artisan.
The city of Pavia, once the seat of the Longobard empire, is known for its goldsmiths which served Italian royalty through the reign of the Savoys.
The area is home to the Stradivarius and some of the world's best tailors. The place exudes an innate elegance and the exacting precision typical of the outstanding artisan.
The first mention of Tenuta Caseo is in an 11th-century notary document that shows the estate gifted to a military officer for acts of bravery. A large part of the estate remains much as it was, with virgin woodlands and cultivated land. Hunters of game and truffle still roam the property in autumn after harvest.
Dwarfed by the contrasting viticultural legacies of neighbors like Piedmont and Emilia Romagna, the Oltrepò has had an ongoing identity crisis. Many think of the sprightly Bonarda, with a Lambrusco-like quality as the Oltrepò variety, but it is Pinot Nero, first planted in 1865 under the guidance and foresight of a local minister, that best matches the characteristics of this place. The right terroir and expert hands are fundamental in taming the potentially elegant, but elusive, fickle and sensitive Pinot Nero.
