Monferrato
Ugo Balocco
Wine Producer in San Marzano Oliveto
Business Hours
Closing Day
Holidays
The Ugo Balocco company is located in San Marzano Oliveto, a small village of about 1,000 inhabitants, dominated by the medieval Asinari Castle of San Marzano.
The winery stands on one of the most beautiful hills of Monferrato. From this position it is possible to catch a glimpse of the outlines of the neighbouring villages perched on the soft hills and the Alpine arc, which on clear autumn days offers one of the most evocative and colourful panoramas of Piedmont.
A Family Business
All aspects of the company are overseen by the family and the labels are the classic wines of the area: Barbera d’Asti, Dolcetto and Moscato. The novelty for autumn 2022 concerns Nizza DOCG, produced exclusively in certain municipalities in the province of Asti bordering the municipality of Nizza Monferrato.
The work is carried out with the utmost respect for nature: quality is already sought in the vineyard through its care and carefully selecting the grapes: thanks to the knowledge of each production area, it has been understood over time how to select and what each vineyard has to offer.
Spring Green News
From spring 2023, a recharging station for electric vehicles, cars and motorbikes, is available to guests, demonstrating the company’s focus on going green.
Promotion of the Italian quality wine sector
Ugo Balocco is a member winery of Fivi, the Italian Federation of Independent Winegrowers.
This is an association that focuses on the winemaker, understood as a figure representing the entire supply chain: from the deep link with the territory, of which they feel like custodians, to the glass, for which they are the guarantor in a direct relationship with the final consumer.
At the company you can meet Ugo Balocco, historical memory of the company and narrator of anecdotes for guests
Luca welcomes guests and leads the tour and the tasting
Equipped with suitable shoes, you can take a relaxing walk in the vineyard
A story that
begins in 1957
in San Marzano Oliveto
A family-run winery active for generations in the production of the best Monferrato wines
The company was founded in the mid-sixties thanks to the commitment of Ugo Balocco.
Still actively involved in the winery today, it is however the family who has treasured the founder's teachings and oversees all aspects of production.
Three generations have marked the history of this Monferrato business, initially known for apple production when wine was still a marginal product, mainly sold in demijohns.
In 2017, Ugo decided to retire to the countryside upon reaching retirement age, and the company found itself at a crossroads: cease operations or invest, renovate, and modernize.
This was an important revolution-evolution involving every production aspect, from the renewal of the winery and equipment to the vineyards.
The idea was therefore to maintain the hard core of customers still tied to bulk purchases, while moving more towards bottled wine, increasing production, renewing the packaging, and adding high-end wines.
The company thus reached its current size and production level with the aim of offering quality wines that serve as examples of territorial enhancement.
The Wines
The labels are not simple illustrations, but memories linked to childhood and moments from the past
The types of Barbera d’Asti DOCG
Barbera d’Asti DOCG represents one of the leading wines of this area and is at the heart of the project by Luca Balocco, Ugo’s grandson and representative of the third generation.
It is available in the two traditional types and in the superior version Fredo, a special dedication to Grandpa Alfredo, the flagship product made from a single vineyard with vines over 70 years old.
Barbera d’Asti DOCG Sentiero, whose name comes from the headland path that divides the vineyard in half, ages first in steel on its own lees with periodic battonage and subsequently for 12 months in barriques.
Traditional Barbera d’Asti DOCG is made from 100% Barbera grapes from two vineyards differing in age and exposure. The grapes are vinified separately, and blending takes place only at the end of the steel aging process.
The other reds in the production
Worth a special mention are the Monferrato DOC Dolcetto, an austere and elegant wine, and the Nizza DOCG Giulio, dedicated to Luca’s son, made from 100% Barbera grapes grown in a few select municipalities and aged for a minimum of 18 months, 6 of which are in wood.
White wines: Moscato d’Asti and Dry Moscato
Moscato d’Asti DOCG Canelli is a wine that the winery likes to define as intuitive due to its direct link with its territory of origin: it is the ideal companion for end-of-meal desserts, toasts, and festive moments, as well as an aperitif.
Controverso, aged in steel, and Pina, aged in oak barrels, represent two types of Dry Moscato produced with 100% Moscato grapes: the peculiarity lies in being vinified with grapes usually used to produce sweet wines.
The Pina version, a tribute to the maternal grandmother, is vinified in barriques and matures on noble lees for six months before resting for a year in the bottle.
Controverso, on the other hand, ages in stainless steel and matures on the lees for five months to obtain an aromatic, balanced, and intriguing wine.
These are products to be discovered also for their versatility: ideal for an aperitif, medium-aged cheeses, fish, and simple first courses.
From Muscat grapes, Tardus white wine is also made from overripe grapes.
The process involves drying the clusters affected by noble rot, which gives the berries a golden yellow color. Once pressed, they express aromas of candied fruit and unique scents.
It is a wine suitable for interesting pairings: hazelnut-based desserts or dry pastries and aged cheeses. It is ideal as a meditation wine.
Moscato Brandy
It is a distillate of Moscato grape must, expertly made through the traditional Piedmontese bain-marie method to obtain a fragrant, smooth and fragrant product.
Produced Wines
Vineyards Extension
N° of Bottles
Vineyards Location
Agricultural Method
At the winery you can buy and taste typical Monferrato wines and discover unexpected flavours
The modest size of the company allows the work to be followed in a rigorous and differentiated manner for each individual part of the vineyards
Taking care of the vineyard is not an easy job: it follows the natural rhythms of life, but certainly the grape harvest is the most awaited moment of the whole year
Experiences
Booking is mandatory and allows for the best organization of the welcome
2020 was the year of the renovation of the winery dating back to 1901 and located inside a mid-nineteenth-century building.
The family chose to maintain the original appearance internally to allow visitors to have an authentic experience respectful of ties to the past: exposed brick, barrel vaults, and Langa stone joints, without forgetting practical and functional aspects.
The visit and tasting
Upon request and weather permitting, it is possible to organize a short walk in the vineyard among the Barbera and Moscato rows adjacent to the winery: all aspects related to the territory, climate, exposure, and the vineyard work cycle are introduced, answering any requests for further information.
This is followed by the grape tour, which follows the same path through the vinification and aging rooms taken by the clusters, from the moment they arrive in the courtyard, well-protected in perforated crates, until bottling and labeling.
Types of tasting
Discovery Tasting → 10€/person
The tasting includes three types of wine: Moscato, Monferrato DOC Dolcetto and Barbera d’Asti DOCG
The Four Superiors → 15€/person
This is a special experience that guides the guest to discover the winery’s flagships: Barbera d’Asti DOCG Fredo, Dry Moscato Pina, Moscato d’Asti DOCG Canelli Pina, Nizza DOCG Giulio.
Both types of tastings include samples of typical local products and the three different types of hazelnuts, roasted, sweetened or salted from the company’s own production.
Groups
Experience Duration
Booking
Experience Price
Roasted, sweet or salted, the hazelnuts grown on the farm accompany the wines during tasting
During the visit you will talk about the land and the work in the vineyard
Knowing the wine you are tasting and buying consciously is the advantage offered by this small family-run company
Prices & Services
Possibility of direct purchase and shipping to the requested destination
Cellar prices
- Vino Bianco Controverso 7.00€
- Vino Bianco Pina 16.00€
- Vino Bianco White Emotion
- Monferrato DOC Dolcetto 2021 7.00€
- Barbera d'Asti DOCG 2020 7.00€
- Barbera d'Asti DOCG 2018, 1.5 lt 22.00€
- Barbera d'Asti DOCG 2021, 3 lt 50.00€
- Barbera d'Asti DOCG Il Sentiero 2018 9.00€
- Barbera d'Asti Sup. DOCG Fredo 2019 15.00€
- Barbera d'Asti Sup. DOCG Fredo 2019, 1.5 lt 30.00€
- Barbera d'Asti Sup. DOCG Fredo 2019, 3 lt →60.00€
- Nizza DOCG Giulio
- Moscato d'Asti DOCG Canelli Alda 2021 9.00€
- Vino Bianco di Uve Stramatura Tardus 20.00€
- Grappa di Barbera 40% vol. 19.00€
- Acquavite di Uva Moscato 40% vol. 17.00€
Piedmont IGP Hazelnuts
- Roasted Piedmont IGP Hazelnuts from the Langhe 250 gr 7.00€
- Salted Piedmont IGP Hazelnuts from the Langhe 250 gr 7.00€
- Sweetened Piedmont IGP Hazelnuts from the Langhe 250 gr 7.00€
Services
Accepted Payments
