Fontanafredda

The history of the winery is truly long, fascinating and features the Royal family, in fact the Fontanafredda estate was purchased by Vittorio Emanuele II as a gift for the "beautiful Rosina", a woman he loved, and subsequently registered in the name of his children Maria Vittoria and Emanuele Alberto, Count of Mirafiore and Fontanafredda. In 1870, winemaking began in the cellars of Fontanafredda, although the mention of a Fontanafredda Barolo dates back to 1867. In 1878, Count Emanuele Alberto founded the winery, with over 300 hectares cultivated directly by specialized paid workers (unique for the time) and in 1887 the first Barolo was exported overseas. At the beginning of the 20th century, under the guidance of the Director Cav. Mollo, the company reached its maximum commercial and productive expansion, with 200 employees and over 40 families residing within the estate, but in 1931 due to the devastation caused by phylloxera, a serious disease of the vines, and the Great Depression brought on by USA, the estates and the cellar are sold to Monte dei Paschi di Siena. In 1959 Fontanafredda produced the first Classic Method sparkling wine, precursor of the current Alta Langa. In 2008 the big change came when Oscar Farinetti and Luca Baffigo purchased the estate, after 77 years Fontanafredda returned to Piedmont. In 2015, the process of converting all the company vineyards to organic farming began. Among the rows, mostly Nebbiolo, Barbera, Dolcetto and Moscato are grown, with an increasingly prevalent part destined for Chardonnay and Pinot Noir, destined for the production of the new DOCG Alta Langa, an expression of the most noble bubbles of Piedmont and rapidly rising on the market. market.
The company earned the title of "European Winery of the Year" in 2017 awarded to it by the prestigious Wine Enthusiast Magazine.