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The winery Cantina Orsolani, is in San Giorgio Canavese, in the province of Turin. That’s exactly where Erbaluce di Caluso, a peculiar grape of Greek origin has found a highly appreciated expressiveness, so much so that since 2009, its protection and preservation has been officially recognized.

Vine cultivation in the Canavese area actually dates back to very ancient times, certainly prior to the Roman invasion when consul Terenzio Varrone defeated the indigenous population of the Salassi.

Such long agricultural tradition relates to two very important factors: the territory and the climate. The land, formed in the Ice Age, is still rich in minerals, rocks and sands, while the climate is particularly mild with an average temperature just under 55.4 F° throughout the year, while in August it can reach 77 F°.

This winery was born here in 1894, when Giovanni Ortolani together with his wife Domenica decided to return from America – out of homesickness – and opened the small restaurant Locanda Aurora; Domenica took care of the kitchen while Giovanni managed the production of wine for their patrons. Over time, the local wine became famous – with the cellar getting bigger and bigger; the next Ortolani generation thus decided to completely devote themselves to wine production.

The company’s philosophy is aimed at improving the quality of its products while respecting the territory and the very peculiar features of the local grape; this translates into cultivating the vineyards without any artificial, nor external boost and by means of organic fertilizers and low environmental impact treatments only – in full compliance with EEC regulations.

Cantina Orsolani also tries to limit the emission of carbon dioxide, limiting the use of tractors and implementing sustainable energy sources like state-of-the-art solar panels.

This post is also available in: Italiano (Italian)