Products of European Excellence

The production area includes the entire lands of the Municipalities Barbaresco, Treiso, Neive and part of the Alba Municipality.

Barbaresco is obtained exclusively from Nebbiolo and presents itself with an intense, bright color ranging from crimson to ruby red, along with a stimulating bouquet of aromas that are fruity yet ethereal, redolent of raspberry and red fruit preserve, geranium and violet, as well as green pepper, cinnamon, nutmeg, hay, wood, toasted hazelnut, vanilla and even aniseed. It must age for at least two years, one of which in oakwood, and four years to be labeled “Reserve”.

It achieves its finest between 5 and 10 years but it can also be very long-lived. Both traditional and other products characterized by a more international interpretation are present on the market, aged in small barriques. The production area includes the entire lands of the Municipalities Barbaresco, Treiso, Neive and part of the Alba Municipality. It is made by small wine producers, prestigious cooperatives and world-renowned companies of excellence. Most wines bearing this denomination are available for tasting at the Regional Winehouse in Barbaresco.

The land of Baraggia Biellese and Vercellese is located in the foothills along the north-eastern border of Piedmont, in the Vercelli and Biella provinces, from the Prealps of Monte Rosa sloping down to sea level along a series of terraces. To the west it is delimited by the morainic relief Serra d’Ivrea, of glacial origin, and to the east by the Sesia river. Its lands are generally rich in clay, compact, asphyxial and poor in humus, Crops are irrigated by channeling streams and rivers which descend from the Alps and Prealps: the Sesia river which descends from the Monte Rosa glaciers, the minor rivers Cervo and Elvo, along with other streams which flow from the Prealps and three dams on the Ostola, Ravasanella and Ingagna streams. These waters, channeled by hydraulic engineering, carry elements which nourish and characterize the varieties of Baraggia rice, unique in terms of quality and organoleptic properties.

The climate is aerated and fresh due to the nearby hills and mountains. In Baraggia, average temperatures from April to July, the period during which rice ripens, are lower than in the plains of Vercelli, Novara and Pavia. Temperature inversions are also frequent, favored by winds which descend from the mountains. These climatic conditions mean that grains of rice form faster during ripening, resulting in a smaller size and lower yield, but also in the greater compactness of cell tissues and therefore excellent consistency, palpable in the quality of the rice.

In terms of culinary properties, Baraggia rice distinguishes itself due to its greater cooking resistance and for its remarkable ability to absorb flavors and condiments. The history of rice farming in Baraggia is centuries-old and the diversity of rices selected from the end of the nineteenth century was described for decades in the Giornale di Risicoltura. The particular soil and climate conditions which constitute the terroir of Baraggia confer unique and excellent qualities upon rice. Stringent and concrete product specifications guarantee the product and its ties with the land.

There are different varieties of PDO rices. The following are recommended for risottos:

• CARNAROLI: with its large and pearled grain;
• ARBORIO: slightly squared grain with a generous central pearl;
• BALDO: the only crystalline Italian rice, namely without a pearl;
• S. ANDREA: a smaller grain compared to traditional risotto rices.

Other Baraggia rices include:

• LOTO: rather large, oval-shaped grain;
• BALILLA: round and pearled grain, small in size, becomes soft when cooked;
• GLADIO: thin, needle-like grain.