Our day started off with another train ride from Milano Centrale to Voghera where we got off and met the tour group. While waiting for our train in Milano, we met the other 2 people on our tour (there was only 4 of us so it was practically a private tour!).
Our guide was supposed to meet us at the train station to ensure we got on the right train but she had issues in the metro so she never showed up. It wasn’t a big deal since we’ve already been on a dozen trains and were used to finding our way. With the other 2 in tow, we boarded our train to Voghera.
Voghera is an interesting town. It was heavily bombed in World War II due to its strategic placement between Milan and Genoa, Turin and Bologna. As a result, they had to rebuild or abandon.
Once we arrived at the Voghera train station, we met up with our driver – Alex – the son of the winery owner. The 4 of us piled into his jeep and off we went on a ~40 minute drive through small towns, hillside villages, and castles. Alex was telling us that every small settlement had a castle perched on the top of the hill or nearby hill that was used to protect and look over the village. Most castles are still privately owned with a small excepted few that were either for sale (nearest one was €300,000) or abandoned. The largest in the area (that I guess was to lord over all the other smaller ones?) was for sale and just a few weeks ago, Alicia Keyes flew in by helicopter to view and take some photos then left.
Winery
We arrived at the winery and were welcomed with a glass of Spumante made with Pinot Nero grapes. As we sipped the tinny bubbles, Alex walked us through their production facility and how they processed the picked grapes. They would harvest then dump the grapes into a hopper that would transport (via a large screw) to another devise that separated the grapes from the stems (looked like a large hopper with paddles). From there, the grapes would then get transported again to a press that would mash the grapes. Once juiced, if they were making red wine, the grapes travelled by hose to large, 50,000L tanks for fermentation.
If making white wine, they would transport the mash to another devise similar to a wash machine drum that separated skins from juice then get transported to 25,000L tanks.
Both sets of tanks are fibreglass – light weight, easy to clean, and they don’t transfer tastes from one wine to another.
Once fermented, the juice is siphoned and transferred to large stainless tanks for clarifying and for further fermentation (if they are making sparkling or need to raise the alcohol content more). For white wines, they add bentonite to pull sediment out; for reds, they let nature do its thing.
From there, Alex took us out to the vineyard and we got to try the grapes right from the vine. They were harvesting in a day – they harvested the Pinot Nero grapes on August 10 due to the heat and were harvesting Barolo and Riesling grapes the day after our tour. The grapes we sampled were Barolo and Riesling. They tasted sweet with a strong grape flavour. The Barolo were a bit stronger and the Riesling were sweeter.
We came back into the wine production facility and we got to sample wine right from the spigot – unbottled, right from the tap. It was delicious – a bit young still but full of flavour.
After sampling (and finishing the bottle of Spumante), we had lunch that Alex’s mother prepared for us – multiple dishes all served with a different bottle of wine. Grana paderno cheese and wine grapes, pesto, a peperonata of sorts, local cured meats, and home made gnocchi in tomato pesto. Dessert? More wine – a sparkling dessert wine poured over fresh peaches and fruit.
Between 4 of us, we consumed 7 bottles of wine and half a bottle of dessert wine. Alex thought it would be a good idea to go wander through the vineyard again and show us more of their property. Who could say no to more views and to learn more about their family winery.
We came back to the farmhouse and Alex brought out a bottle of limoncello they made from lemons one of their clients grew in the Amalfi region. They transport wine all over Italy but majority is in the Oltrepo and Milan region.
After drinking more, Alex informed us that our train was leaving in about an hour so we had to go back to Voghera. We piled in his jeep and off we went. I can’t recall exactly how we got back but it felt a lot quicker – or maybe it was all the wine….
The best part? Their winery is called Ferrari Wine Company. Wonder if there’s any relation to the car company….
Justyn Perry
Justyn shares first-hand travel stories, honest recommendations and the practical details that make a journey easier to plan.
More about Billy Goat HikerKeep exploring
The next story, straight to your inbox
Food finds, honest stays, memorable activities and practical travel notes from journeys near and far.
One email when a new story is published. Unsubscribe anytime.