Orsolani

Canavese landscape

Orsolani’s vineyards lie in the traditional production areas of Canavese in Piemonte. Canavese comprises 120 communes and a landscape of mountains, lakes, gentle hills and open countryside, interspersed with castles, royal residences, ancient churches, sanctuaries and Liberty-style villas.

Glacial geology

The hilly terrain originated during the Ice Age. Its gently profiled moraines consist of material carried down from the surface of the mountains of Valle d’Aosta by glaciers. The resulting soils contain abundant minerals in the form of sand and stones shaped during their movement.

Climate

The climate is particularly mild. The mean annual temperature is slightly below 13 °C, while temperatures can reach 25 °C in August, a crucial month for grape ripening.

A long winegrowing landscape

Viticulture in Canavese predates the Roman conquest, when forces led by Terenzio Varrone defeated the indigenous Salassi. The combination of morainic hills and a mild climate is presented as the foundation of this long agricultural tradition.

Orsolani seeks to reduce its impact on the land while protecting the health of workers and consumers. Vineyard fertilization uses only organic fertilizers, while plant-protection products are selected for low environmental impact. Most vineyard operations are performed by hand, reducing tractor use.

The photovoltaic installation supplying energy for vineyard and cellar operations makes the estate almost self-sufficient in energy and avoids approximately 200 quintals—20 metric tonnes—of CO₂ emissions per year.

The cellar produces still, sparkling and passito wines, with Erbaluce forming the core of production. The use of oenological products is deliberately limited.

Orsolani began making sparkling Erbaluce in 1968 and continues to use the Metodo Classico for this category. Extended contact with the lees is part of the sparkling-wine approach. The cellar also vinifies dried Erbaluce grapes for passito, continuing a practice associated with the area’s ancient tradition of grape drying. The winery includes a barrel cellar and a dedicated tasting room.

Orsolani’s guiding objective, followed since 1894, is to improve wine quality while respecting both the territory and the characteristics of the grape variety. The family describes its production ethic as one of minimal intrusion, intended to preserve the health of the land, its workers and consumers.

Tradition and personality are treated as complementary rather than opposing values. The family’s identity is expressed through four generations of continuity, craftsmanship and a particular commitment to the indigenous Erbaluce grape. Its historical formula—seriousness, respect, work and territory—places disciplined production and attachment to Canavese at the centre of the estate’s approach.