Francesca Castaldi 'Pianazzi' Vino Rosso 2023

The vibe: We had to put another of Francesca’s beautiful wines from Alto-Piemonte in the club for you easy-drinkers! This Nebbiolo is a reminder that Italian reds don’t have to be big scary tannin monsters. In fact, Pianazzi is the gentlest wine Francesca makes, shying away from maximum extraction and mouth-drying astringency in favor of a quick 5 day maceration lending a chillable, bright and cheery demeanor. Tons of cranberry and raspberries up front, with subtle white pepper and some very delicate tannins lingering on the finish. It’s the perfect summer cooldown to pair with an alfresco salumi board.

The winemaker: Azienda Francesca Castaldi is a small estate based in the Alto Piedmonte’s Fara DOC. This is the first slope heading north from Novara that starts the Alto Piedmonte region. The Castaldi family has been farming this region since the 1700’s, but it was Francesca’s father Pierino who really threw his passion and innovations into the vineyards and wines. He was a smart and tenacious man. After World War II he managed to build his first tractor- naming it “Nobody’s son” because he built it by putting together recovery parts he took from other machines. In 1997, his daughter Francesca took over the family vineyards and started a project of renewal. In the vineyards, she changed the vineyard plots from the traditional pergola pruning system to Guyot, which was in line with some more modern growing techniques happening in other regions of Italy and beyond. She then eliminated all use of chemicals and fertilizers and is now practicing organic viticulture.

The geeky details: Grapes are handpicked in late September. Short maceration on the skins (5 days) with alcoholic fermentation followed by malolactic. All vinification happens in stainless steel. 

Serve: With a light chill.

Food pairing: Salumi! The acidity in this wine would also be a great fit for tomato or vinaigrette-forward dishes as well as anything spicy that might need a mouth cooldown.

Album pairing: Dorothy Ashby - Afro-Harping