Friends making wine
In 2021, amidst the challenges of the pandemic, Alice Outwater and Robert Lang purchased a vineyard property in Piedmont Italy in Rocchetta Palafea, a small village next to Canelli, in the province of Asti. This project was born of the collaboration of friends from the United States and Ukraine who met in Italy. La Collina Degli Amici, the hill of friends, was the result.
The estate is ten acres perched on a hillside. The vineyard is three acres of old vines of Barbera d’Asti, Moscato and Brachetto Many of the vines were established more than fifty years ago.
Our sparkling wines, two Pét-Nats, are produced from the Brachetto grape using the ancestral method. The Moscato is a dry white wine with delicate and floral aromas. The Barbera d’Asti is a traditional dry red wine that is aged in selected wood and concrete vessels. We are also purchasing Nebbiolo grapes from an organic grower in the region to release a Langhe Nebbiolo each year.We make two wines from our Moscato grapes. The Fiorogialli is a dry white wine with delicate and floral aromas, and the orange wine is a full-bodied, complex wine that pairs with strongly flavored foods.
Looking forward
Our focus each year is the continued health of the vineyard and the careful production of our wines. We are preparing 1 hectare of land for a new vineyard where we will grow Pinot Noir. This new vineyard faces east and northeast, an orientation that reduces heat stress on the vines.
the science and art of winemaking
Every step of the winemaking process contributes to the final product. We manage the vineyard organically, using biodynamic principles. We pick our grapes by hand to ensure that each bunch is carefully handled. The grapes are sorted precisely, pressed cleanly, and our wines are made with wild yeast, based on our vineyard’s terroir.
We use stainless steel tanks, fiberglass tanks, and a concrete egg for vinification, and age the wine in oak barrels and barriques. We couple traditional winemaking techniques with modern technology.
Our wine making starts in the vineyard where we use only organic and biodynamic products. In the winery we are producing approximately 12 thousand bottles of white, orange, red and sparkling wines. Each wine is allowed to express the terroir of the property.
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