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Tenute Cisa Asinari (“Cisa Asinari Estates”) of Marchesi di Gresy, located in Barbaresco (in the province of Cuneo), have been a property of the noble family since 1797. Nonetheless, wine-growing actually started in 1973, thanks to Alberto di Grésy, who began cultivating his own Nebbiolo grapes on the 27 cultivated acres of his estate.

The vineyards are located between Langhe and Monferrato, two areas that have always been perfectly suited for the production of excellent wine.

Marchesi di Grey owns four vineyards in particular: two in the province of Cuneo, “Martinenga”, between the municipality of Barbaresco and Monte Aribaldo, and “La Serra and Monte Colombo” – in the municipality of Cassine (province of Alessandria).

“Martinenga”, covering more than 30 acres, faces south and is mainly made of blue marl. This estate is the real heart of the company as the grapes coming from the other vineyards are brought here for the traditional vinification process.
The name “Martinenga” refers to the term “martiningen”, that is “the sacred place to god Mars”, given by the ancient people of Liguria to the wooded area below the hill on which they had found protection from the Roman invaders.
The toponymy of that place is still linked to those remote events: Asili (from “Asylum” – “Refuge/Shelter” in Latin, referring to those fleeing people from Liguria) and Martinenga are still two of the most famous vineyards of Barbaresco, which, in turn, took its name from the ancient barbaric forest.

“Monte Aribaldo” estate stands on the homonymous hill in the municipality of Treiso d’Alba, a few miles from “Martinenga”. This vineyard stretches on some 25 acres, shaped like a crown around Villa Giulia, an Art Nouveau hunting lodge built by Carlo di Grésy in 1900. Right there, visitors can enjoy a breathtaking 360 ° view over Piedmont, framed by the majestic sights of the Alps.
The vineyard is located at an altitude between 1.181 and 1.213 ft above sea level, on a mixed soil of limestone and tuff.

In Cassine, Monferrato area, there’s “Tenuta Serra” whose vineyards cover an area of about 27 acres facing south and located at an altitude between 755 and 788 ft meters above sea level.
The nearby Bormida River gives the soil remarkable fertility, thanks to the coexistence of clay and limestone. This feature, in addition to the presence of the Marin wind from Liguria, translates into natural and very aromatic mineral notes during vinification.

Finally, “Tenuta Monte Colombo”, is on the top of the hill adjacent to “Tenuta La Serra” and stretches over some 7.5 acres; the soil is clayey and extremely fertile. The high-density rows are exposed along an east-west axis.
Well aware of the importance and the value of the surrounding area, Marchesi di Gresy strives to constantly protect the soil and the environment; therefore, every single step of the winemaking process uses natural resources, also thanks to several improvements of the cellars and the very vineyards.
The barrel cellar, in particular, has been built underground to reduce the need for soil, and can thus profit from the natural humidity and ideal temperature. A portion of its roof ha also been reserved to a garden of essences. The latter was created to safeguard the microclimatic balance but, above all, to attract pollinating insects extremely useful for biological control, such as Apis mellifera L. – the honey bee, which can find abundant blooms right there.

This post is also available in: Italiano (Italian)