Frasca Wine: Partners Aim To Produce The Best Expression of Nizza
The Frasca La Guaragna Winery in Piedmont, launched in 2017, has two major goals: To produce the best Barbera wines and to realize the untapped potential of the Nizza Monferrato territory.
Finding Common Ground
It all began with a chance meeting between two men, Curt Frasca and Matteo Gerbi, who shared a passion for Piedmont and its wines.
Frasca is an Italian-American best known for his decades-long success in the music industry. The former songwriter, musician, music publisher, engineer and award-winning producer co-founded (and later sold) the Verse Music Group.
Over his multi-faceted career, Frasca worked with legendary artists, including Madonna, Mariah Carey, Aretha Franklin, Prince, Celine Dion, Jennifer Lopez, Cyndi Lauper and Avril Lavigne.
However, the music mogul and entrepreneur decided to change course in midlife, selling his music business and pursuing his love of travel. Like many expats and visitors, he fell in love with the Piedmont region of northern Italy.
It’s easy to be smitten by Piedmont, the region that borders Switzerland and France. The sophisticated cities and small towns are a mecca for anyone who loves good wine and fine food, including white truffles, risotto, polenta, pastas (like tagliarini, tajarin and agnolotti), cheeses, hazelnuts and tender Fassona beef.
The partnership between the two men began with a handshake. Gerbi, a respected winemaker with extensive experience and deep roots in Asti, was introduced to Frasca. After working for some of the region’s top wineries (including Gaja), he, too, wanted to make a career change, hoping to produce new expressions of Barbera wines.
“I was born and bred in this area,” said Gerbi at a virtual tasting of Frasca. “These wines are in my blood and in my history.” He noted that even as a child, his parents would pour a few drops of the red wine into his water.
Together, the two men met monthly and walked over 250 hectares in the prestigious Nizza production zone to find the best spot for their vineyards. They selected 25 hectares (almost 62 acres) of prime land that spans the municipalities of Nizza Monferrato, Agliano Terme and Moasca.
Nizza: A Relatively New Wine Appellation
Barbera (known as the Queen of Wines) is the region’s leading wine. Nizza was first recognized as a DOCG wine in its own right in 2014, after relinquishing its status as a subzone of the Barbera d’Asti DOCG. This DOCG emphasizes its place of origin rather than its grape variety.
The Nizza Producers Association, founded in 2002, has nearly 100 small producers in and around Nizza Monferrato. In a decision made jointly with the Consorzio della Barbera d’Asti e dei Vini del Monferrato, the group is planning a new Nizza DOCG Consortium to be in place later this year.
“This is a historic moment for all of us,” Stefano Chiarlo, president of the Associazione Produttori del Nizza, told WineCouture, an Italian online magazine. “In just over twenty years…we’ve built a strong and ambitious identity together, sharing vision and sacrifices. The birth of the Consortium will allow us to take another step forward in growth and responsibility.”
A Deeper Expression of Barbera
According to production rules, the denomination can only be produced in 18 communities in the Nizza Monferrato area.
Made exclusively from 100% Barbera grapes, the wine must have a minimum alcohol level of 13.5% and be aged for at least 18 months, including 6 months in barrel. (To be called riserva, Nizza must be aged a minimum of 30 months, 12 months in the barrel.)
The vineyards are planted on gently sloping hillsides, with soil composed of clay and ancient marine sediments, facing southeast to west to give the vines the best possible sun exposure.
“Nizza is a new and deeper expression of Barbera, not a secondary planting,” commented David Giuliano, Italian portfolio manager for New York’s Regal Wine Imports (one of Frasca Guaragna’s U.S. importers), who also participated in the tasting. He explained that it is a different type of Barbera that’s “well-received, a wine that restaurants and consumers find extremely likable.”
Some have called the wine a “super Barbera.” The wine has more structure, says Giuliano, with soft tannins and good acidity, making it very food-friendly.
The tasting featured four Frasca La Guaragna wines: single-vineyard Nizza DOCG, Nizza La Veja DOCG, Barbara d’Asti DOCG, and Monferrato DOC Bianco, a white Arneis.
Reaching for Excellence
Frasca and Gerbi share the goal of showcasing “the potential of this northern Italian DOCG as a source for powerful, age-worthy red wines.”
“We aim for our winery to be the flagship wine of Nizza,” said Gerbi.
The winemaker and his team are respectful of the vineyards and committed to sustainability, using no herbicides and cutting the grass only after flowering.
Although the winery’s first production was in 2019, Frasca La Guaragna Winery currently produces about 80,000 bottles annually, which are exported to 15 countries.
The winery offers tastings and tours by appointment. However, a major milestone for the winery will be the completion of its contemporary headquarters in 2027, envisioned as a center of enology and culture.
The Piedmont Langhe/Monferrato wine region was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2014 for its stunning vineyard landscapes and rich winemaking traditions.
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