This post is also available in: Italiano (Italian)

Tarassolo Castle is currently a winery located in Alborina (Tarassolo), in the heart of the Gavi area. It has belonged to the Spinola family since 1300 to one of the oldest family in Italy, the Spinolas – dating back to 900.

The castle was built around an XI century tower and later enlarged and renovated, especially during the Renaissance period. Massimiliana Spinolo has owned the local winery since 2005, managing it with the help of her partner Bonifacio Spinola, who’s also her cousin.

In the 50-acre vineyards around the winery, Massimiliana grows Cortese di Gavi, Barbera and Cabernet Sauvignon grapes, producing organic and biodynamic wines since 2006 (Sparkling Gavi DOCG Bio, Cortese di Gavi DOCG Bio, Monferrato DOC red without organic sulphites, Barbera DOC without organic sulphites, and Rosè DOC Bio) – all her wines are Organic/Vegan-suited certified by Bios and Biodynamic (AgriBioDinamica), while they’re very elegant, with a very pleasant fragrance and taste, as well as highly- acclaimed by many international guides.

The local viticulture is completely biodynamic, thus guaranteeing the utmost respect for nature, while using hummus, green manuring, and constantly monitoring the plant health with the support of biodynamic manure.
The winery farmers never use herbicides or chemical boosters. The vines are cultivated with the help of draft horses, including four French Comtois breed specimens, which are extremely tame, rustic and strong. Those very horses are vital for many different tasks which include fertilizing the crops, sowing green manure and burying it, ploughing the vineyard, removing the vine shoots, distributing biodynamic preparations, and moving tree trunks.
They allow the farmers to work without crushing the soil, as tractors would do instead; they can also walk on the rows of green manure without damaging it and access the vineyard even when the soil is wet.
For those reasons, the winery at Castello di Tarassolo also offers individual or group courses about working with draft horses in the vineyard, in the field and in the woods.
Last but not least, the castle can be rented for events, weddings, private functions, meetings, etc.

This post is also available in: Italiano (Italian)