Asti Langa
Fea Wines
Wine Producer in Calosso
Business Hours
Closing Day
Holidays
The territory of Calosso, a small town of about 1,200 inhabitants straddling the Langhe and Monferrato regions, presents itself with a panorama thick with vineyards that reach their maximum splendor during the months of October and November thanks to one of the most enchanting foliages in Piedmont.
In a panoramic position, cantilevering over the steep south-facing vineyards, is the Fea Vini winery, a small, family-run business where Giuseppe and Tiziana, the owners, receive guests directly.
The welcome, the passion for this land and the fruits it offers remain etched in the memory of those who visit thanks to their authentic homely hospitality.
From the very first visit, one understands the desire to pass on, especially to the youngest, the experience gained through years of work, without neglecting the hardest aspects of rural life, in a land that in 50 years has gone from the misery of the Malora to an economic, cultural and touristic well-being.
A place of peace and tranquility among the UNESCO hills
This is the spirit with which Giuseppe faces the daily challenges of his profession
Calosso has always been a land of great wines, a land of which Moscato d’Asti is the main resource
A story that
begins in 1969
in Calosso
The winery is located in the territory that, like the characters, is also the protagonist of Cesare Pavese's novels
The Fea winery takes its name from the locality of the same name and was founded in Calosso in 1960 by Giuliano Chiarera, Tiziana's father.
It is Giuliano himself who passes on his attachment and love for this land and its products to his son-in-law Giuseppe Valente.
Having left his previous occupation as a wine representative, Giuseppe took over the management in 1990, expanding the vineyard areas and modernizing the work in the vineyard and in the winery, diversifying production and refining the quality of the wines.
Today Fea Vini represents a family-run business that partly harvests grapes for fellow producers and partly bottles directly, reaching a total of approximately 10,000 bottles per year.
This is a story and an experience passed down through different generations which, as Giuseppe recalls:
"A glass of our wine contains the ancient experience of those who started making it and the continuity of those who believed in their ability to make others know and appreciate what these vineyards have always represented: the purpose of their life."
The Wines
Lively and colorful labels dress some bottles of the company line
Working while having fun is the spirit with which Giuseppe faces the daily challenges of his profession.
As his friend and oenologist Fulvio Farò likes to recall:
Good wine is born in the vineyard and not in the winery.
In getting to know Giuseppe, what strikes you are his dedication and continuous curiosity in carrying out the work of a winegrower: aspects that are reflected in the wines he produces in the municipalities of Calosso and Santo Stefano Belbo.
Two neighboring but different territories, united by an ancient history, when the Langhe and Monferrato emerged from the sea, about 6 million years ago.
If on the one hand the grapes grown in the Calosso area give a Moscato wine with a characteristic, pronounced and delicate aroma, it is the Santo Stefano area that gives the flagship wines of the production.
- Langhe DOC Nebbiolo: fine, elegant and with spicy notes;
- Freisa d’Asti DOC: harmonious, with hints of rose and raspberry and pronounced tannins;
- Calosso DOC Gamba di Pernice produced from the rare Gamba Rossa grape variety, with a fragrance of oriental aromas reminiscent of green pepper and a spicy and intense flavor;
- Piemonte Moscato Passito DOC Così…Una Volta: obtained from only white grape varieties of Passeretta quality, formed by very small berries, without seeds.
From these vineyards over 70 years old, a passito wine of extraordinary quality is obtained, delicate and perhaps finer than Moscato itself, produced in special vintages and in a limited number of bottles.
A dedication to daughters Beatrice and Giulia
Two wines of the production are dedicated to Tiziana and Giuseppe’s daughters: the Moscato Secco Beatrice, produced with 100% Moscato grapes and the Rosato Juliette, produced from native grapes selected from the best qualities of the vintage.
The production is accompanied by the classic DOC labels of the Langhe and Monferrato: Barbera d’Asti DOCG, both classic and Superiore, Monferrato Dolcetto DOC, Langhe DOC Nebbiolo and Monferrato Rosso DOC Rocca Fea.
The latter presents itself almost as an experimental wine, a blend of Nebbiolo and the local native variety Gambarossa.
Produced Wines
Vineyards Extension
N° of Bottles
Vineyards Location
Agricultural Method
A building with a history of over 200 years behind it built of brick and Langa stone
Fea Vini owners welcoming guests and leading the tour and guided tasting
Upon request, it is possible to carry out the walk among the rows, which should be done with suitable footwear
Experiences
Once you arrive at the winery, everyone is on a first-name basis because visiting guests aren't just customers, they're friends
The visits and tastings are conducted by Giuseppe and Tiziana who introduce the company history on the small panoramic plateau in front of the winery.
They talk about the territory, about work in the vineyard always conducted with respect for the environment and biodiversity: vineyard operations are reduced to a minimum and work is done with inter-row cultivation so as to replace or limit chemical interventions.
With his ability to engage guests, even the youngest will be interested in the seasonal cycles and the interventions necessary to promote the growth of a healthy and robust vine.
We then move to the small and quaint Cantina where grape processing takes place-a building that is a witness to rural life in the past with a history of more than 200 years.
Evidence of this is the discovery of a tile dated 1815 and the imprint of a builder’s hand impressed in the upper part of the vault bearing the same date.
Types of tasting
The tasting room, which formerly housed the stable, is a small cool area characterized by vaults and thick load-bearing walls.
Here you can choose from four different types of tasting:
- 15€/person → tasting of 3 wines + tasting of cured meats and tasting of typical cheeses, bread and breadsticks;
- 20€/person → tasting of 5 wines + tasting of cured meats and tasting of typical cheeses, bread and breadsticks.
The Crutin: ancient pantry of the Langa farmers
The storage area, where the bottles and barrels where the wines destined for aging rest are on display, contains a gem that always intrigues visitors: there is in fact a crutin carved into the tuff, that is, a walkable tunnel with a dead end and closed by a now dry well.
Groups
Experience Duration
Booking
Experience Price
A cool and relaxing environment where you can discover production wines accompanied by typical products
The tasting is measured to the needs of the guests, whether they are expert connoisseurs or simple enthusiasts
Renovations have revealed an old crutin, the ancient pantry of Langa farmers
The town of Calosso
A town to experience rich with events throughout the year
Calosso is immersed in a natural and landscape environment of great charm.
The town boasts a characteristic medieval village dominated by the castle and the church of San Martino, embellished with an artistic wooden choir, and an imposing central nave.
The historic center then reveals a suggestive underground itinerary, the work of the ingenious hands of people of the past: these are the crotin, ancient cellars carved into the tuff, unique in their kind, which host tastings of typical dishes and wines during the well-known Fiera del Rapulè, an unmissable event on the third weekend of October.
Between June and July, the traditional summer festival and Cammina Cammina take place, a walk through the UNESCO vineyards that connect the various wine companies.
In November, the month in which Calosso celebrates the patronal feast of Sant’Alessandro Sauli, for two consecutive weekends, the town’s Pro Loco offers the opportunity to taste one of the most typically Piedmontese dishes: Bagna Caoda del Beato prepared according to the oldest Piedmontese culinary tradition.
The territory of Calosso: colors, sounds and tastes
A small rural village rich in history and traditions still alive today
Prices & Services
Possibility of direct purchase at the winery
Types of tasting
- 15€/person → tasting of 3 wines + tasting of cured meats and tasting of typical cheeses, bread and breadsticks;
- 20€/person → tasting of 5 wines + tasting of cured meats and tasting of typical cheeses, bread and breadsticks.
Wines can be shipped to the destination of your choice.
Services
Accepted Payments
