Cascina Tavijn Bandita

Nadia Verrua’s family has been making wines in the hills of Monferrato in the province of Asti for over a century. Today they farm ten hectares of local grape varieties planted over soft, sandy slopes in Scurzolengo, Castagnole Monferrato, and Montemagno. They work organically and also keep a large number of hazelnut trees, and it is little secret that Nadia’s mum, Teresa, makes one of the best torta di nocciole in all of Piemonte.  

In the old-fashioned cantina beneath the family’s home, the wines are made with simple tools and raised in a mixture of big old botti, vats, and cement, with nothing added at any stage. The results are rustic, charming wines full of life, encapsulating all that is great about Italian vino da tavola.  

From her vines of around forty years old, planted over the region’s characteristically steep slopes and soft, sandy soils, this Barbera d’Asti spent six weeks on skins, followed by a year in concrete and another year in large oak casks. From a cooler vintage, it pours a brilliant shade of ruby and is as vibrant an expression of the grape as you’ll find, with tart brambly fruits bringing plenty of refreshment and intrigue.