Oltrepò Pavese DOC, region in Lombardy (‘Lombardia’), Italy whose name translates as ‘the far side of the Po [river]’. Oltrepò Pavese has an ancient tradition of wine-making, with the first written documents dating back to Pliny the Elder and Strabo who, in 40 BC, passed by with a Roman Legion and wrote ‘fine wine, friendly people, and large wooden barrels’. See also Buttafuoco.

History: It was probably the Barbarians who came up with the name for the the lands they encountered after having crossed the River Po, descending from the North. Inhabited by Ligurians and Insubrian Gauls, the Oltrepò passed under Roman dominion following the famous battle of Clastidium (present-day Casteggio), which took place in 222 B.C. Under the Romans the area underwent considerable development, due in part to the construction of major communication routes. At that time, as from the chronicles of Pliny the Elder, viticulture was practised successfully and, as Columella relates, good wines were available for drinking. After the fall of the Western Roman Empire, it was the Barbarians who occupied this area. In the Middle Ages, famous noble and clerical families took turns in holding sway over the region.

The Malaspinas, Viscontis, Beccarias, Dal Vermes and Sforzas controlled the area and wrote the story of the Oltrepò, also leaving a trace of their long-held power in the watchtowers, castles, churches and splendid mansions that one can still admire in the towns and villages around Pavia. For centuries the Oltrepò was a much fought-over zone. As a result of peace treaties, it passed into the hands of the great powers of the time: France, Spain, and then Austria which, under the reign of Maria Theresa, ceded the Oltrepò to the crown of Sardinia under the Treaty of Worms (1743).

The early studies on ampelography and cadastral censuses carried out towards the end of the 18th century bear witness to the area’s important vocation for wine production and for the significant diffusion of viticulture. At the beginning of the 19th century, after a brief return to French dominion under Napoleon, the Oltrepò once again became part of the Kingdom of Sardinia and it was in this period that the vine-growers of Piedmont began cultivating the Pinot Nero variety in the lands to the east of the historic Langhe, Asti and Monferrato zones. It was only in 1860 that the Oltrepò became part of Lombardy.

Vineyards: 13,500 hectares of vineyards. The most representative varieties of the Pavian hills are: Croatina, Barbera, Pinot nero, Riesling and Moscato.

Terroir: The production zone comprises the hills of the Staffora river basin and to altitudes between 330 and 1650 feet above sea level. Soils are mainly calcareous clay. Maritime breezes from Liguria. Oltrepò Pavese is the extreme point of the region of Lombardy, in the Province of Pavia, lying south of the river Po. It is roughly triangular in shape, like a kind of compact grape bunch attached to a cane, represented by the great river. The 13,500 hectares of vineyards make Oltrepò Pavese one of Italy’s largest appellations. Pinot Noir is the key grape with about 3,000 hectares. It is the largest area in Italy dedicated to this variety.

Communes:

Wine grapes: Croa (r). | Crova (r). | Uva della Cascina (r). | Vespolina (r).

Gastronomy: The area is noted for mushrooms, truffles, cheeses and salami from Varzi.

Winemaking: Already at the start of the twentieth century in Oltrepò, Pinot Noir was being made into large quantities of sparkling white wine.

Sparkling wines

Cruasé: The region’s flagship wine. ‘Cruasé’ is a collective brand exclusive to Consortium members which identifies Oltrepò Pavese traditional method DOCG rosé sparkling wines made with Pinot Noir grapes. The creation of the Oltrepò Pavese Metodo Clasicco DOCG led to a debate which identified rosé as a real strong point. This wine is emblematic of the region, the grape variety and the noblest sparkling wine making method, all at the same time. The decision to make a rosé united the very individual nature of this bubbly together with the value of naturalness (lightly crushing Pinot Noir naturally generated a pinkish-coloured must), therefore the Consorzio Tutela Vini Oltrepò Pavese decided to reinforce it by endowing it with an immediately recognisable brand for the consumer, ‘Cruasé’. ‘Cruasé’, (from ‘cru’ and rosé) defines the traditional method rosé made from Pinot Noir grapes in Oltrepò Pavese and today this product distinguishes the area from other traditional method sparkling wine-making areas, both in Italy and abroad. It is made as ‘Brut’, ‘Extrabrut’ and ‘Brut Nature’ and rests on the lees for at least 18 months; ideal with all courses of a meal, excellent with appetisers and finger food or as an original and seductive aperitif.

White wines

Oltrepò Pavese DOC Bianco:

Oltrepò Pavese DOC Chardonnay:

Oltrepò Pavese DOC Cortese:

Oltrepò Pavese DOC Malvasia:

Oltrepò Pavese DOC Moscato:

Oltrepò Pavese DOC Pinot Noir: Vinified as a white wine.

Oltrepò Pavese DOC Riesling: The region’s most characteristic white is Riesling.

Oltrepò Pavese DOC Sauvignon Blanc:

Pink wines

Oltrepò Pavese DOC Pinot Nero Rosato: Pinot Noir vinified as a rosé.

Oltrepò Pavese DOC Rosato:

Red wines

Oltrepò Pavese DOC Rosso

Oltrepò Pavese DOC Barbera

Oltrepò Pavese DOC Bonarda: The traditional local wine is Bonarda, reaching production peaks of 20 million bottles.

Oltrepò Pavese DOC Cabernet Sauvignon

Oltrepò Pavese DOC Pinot Noir: Optimising the fermentation of Pinot Noir on the skins, done by some wineries at the start of the 1950s, led to the creation of the ‘Pinot nero dell’Oltrepò Pavese’ DOC in 2010, wholly dedicated to this still wine, the region’s most international red.

Oltrepò Pavese Rosso DOC: These red wines dominate and are made from Barbera and Bonarda. Pinot Noir is used for sparkling wines, eg. Cruasé (see above).

Vintages: Conte Vistarino “Ottavia Vistarino says “we started 2020 on 19 August with the grapes for our sparkling wines, then it was the turn of our red wines. We were particularly fortunate this year to see a good balance between crop and canopy, which means alcohol levels will be contained and the results elegant and refined.’

Wineries

No certification: Conte Vistarino.