The first story of “Welcome to Food”, our blog dedicated to exceptional food and wine, is an imaginative journey to a place called Bubbio, in the province of Asti, where we meet Gianfranco Torelli and his family.
Bubbio: a balance between history and landscape
Gianfranco, a fourth‑generation vigneron, has poured his energy and passion into celebrating this remarkable corner of Piedmont, in the heart of Langa Astigiana. Proud holder of Italy’s very first organic wine label with his Canelli DOCG Moscato San Gròd, he produces extraordinary wines — all organic — appreciated from Italy to Canada, Japan, and across Europe.
Arriving by car from Monastero Bormida — another special place we’ll tell you about soon — and driving along the Bormida river, Bubbio slowly appears just as it must have looked to travelers centuries ago: a ridge of horizontal, parallel rows of houses nestled between the imposing church of Nostra Signora Assunta on one side and, at the far end of the ancient Via Maestra, the great Castle with its eastern tower. Everything sits halfway up the hillside, panoramic and elevated. Harmony and balance — the kind only the ancients mastered — are already present in this first glimpse. And yet, the new hydraulic containment works along the river, necessary in these times of climate change, remind us how difficult it is today to reconcile functionality with respect for the landscape.
One family, one hill, one clear choice: organic farming
But let’s return to the beauty of the land, and to those who love and respect it every day: Gianfranco Torelli, his wife Paola, their children Michela and Carlo, and his parents Marisa and Mario — all involved in the family winery.
Bubbio is surrounded by countryside, a gentle mosaic of farmsteads, small and large plots, true “postage stamps” of land shifting from green to ochre in every shade: plowed fields, meadows, vineyards, hazelnut groves, vegetable gardens, and patches of woodland crowning the hilltops. Every corner of this micro‑world is a universe of its own.
Down in the village, people gather, joke, laugh, and debate in the cafés, after Mass, at festivals, at the market, or during the ancient Fiera di San Simone. And of course, in the legendary piazza del Pallone, where the traditional game of pallapugno has been played for centuries.
Gianfranco lives just two minutes from the village — perhaps less — yet that short distance takes you into another, beautiful dimension. You feel it as soon as you take the road climbing toward the hill of San Grato, where the church dedicated to the saint who protects against hail dominates the landscape. As you ascend, vineyards and hazelnut groves flank the slopes, some gentle, others steeper. The road winds between farmhouses and cascine perfectly exposed to the sun, and now and then a hare darts out from the hazelnuts. Finally you reach Gianfranco’s cellar and his magnificent organic vineyards.
1992: the birth of Italy’s First Certified Organic Wine
It was here, in 1992, that the Canelli DOCG San Gròd was born (at the time still called Moscato d’Asti DOCG, before the Canelli designation). It became the first Italian wine ever to bear the organic certification label. Gianfranco tells the story — and his philosophy — as follows:
“The first European Community regulation on organic farming was No. 2092 of 1991, and the 1992 harvest was therefore the first that could display the wording Wines obtained from organically grown grapes. Fate had it that my 1992 Moscato d’Asti DOCG became the first certified organic wine in Italy. I’m honored to keep the very first authorization for printing organic labels issued by Agri.Bio Piemonte — number AIB I027 T000001.”
He continues:
“We always believed in organic farming, and when Regulation 2092/91 was approved, we worked tirelessly to obtain certification. Back then, very few people talked about organic. You really had to believe in it. Consumer awareness was nothing like today, when even large companies and supermarkets can’t do without it and have entire organic sections. For us, it was never a trend. It has always been our way of living the land, cultivating vines, and making wine sustainably — without slogans or dogma, but through daily hard work and respect for nature.”
And it’s true. Some embrace organic as a trend; others, like big retailers, because the market demands it; others still because they need to feel ideologically “alternative,” often slipping into predictable conformism. Then there are people like Gianfranco — who simply love nature and try to honor it.
Wild orchids and LIPU birdhouses: biodiversity you can see
There’s a very concrete way to understand this: walk among the rows of San Grato in spring, when spontaneous Piedmontese orchids bloom between the vines. They are proof not only of organic farming, but of meticulous mowing that respects every patch of green. Add to that the LIPU birdhouses hanging from the vineyard posts, where small birds nest and help control insects naturally, and you begin to understand why organic farming here feels so natural — the result of real, thoughtful projects in harmony with the environment.
A cellar that tells millennia of wine history
The cellar and tasting room are equally moving. Among the many projects created with Gianfranco — from Vignette in Vigna and Zagor in Cantina to the comic book The Story of the First Organic Wine and ceramic artworks dedicated to wine — today I prefer to share the atmosphere of the place. The small museum room displays old family tools for harvesting and winemaking, leading to the tasting room. Here, surrounded by artworks and oak barrels, you enter a space that recalls the convivial spirit of ancient times, evoking the Ligurian Statielli and later Roman roots of this land. After the large terracotta jars used by Gianfranco — as they have been for millennia in Georgia and Armenia — a niche opens with a great terracotta amphora inspired by Roman imperial wine vessels. At its center, a small fountain trickles continuously, its gentle sound preparing you for a memorable tasting.
The Wines: identity, character, depth
And now, the wines. Where to begin? The best solution is always to book a visit and tasting, letting Michela, Carlo, and Gianfranco guide you. But allow me a few words about some bottles — all strictly organic.
Canelli DOCG San Gròd
Let’s start with the Canelli DOCG Moscato San Gròd. Forget the supermarket Moscato you grab before New Year’s Eve — overly sweet and forgettable. Here you enter a world of aromas and lightness, with delicate, satisfying sweetness and fine bubbles that caress the palate. In short: you won’t be able to stop. It’s extraordinary, top‑level, and perfect far beyond dessert.
Barbera d’Asti Il Vecchio
From one world to another: the Barbera d’Asti DOCG Il Vecchio. Made from perfectly ripe Barbera grapes, it expresses the full potential of the variety. Bottled at least 30 months after harvest — including over 24 months in small oak barrels — it is noble, full‑bodied, structured, and harmonious, balancing the grape’s natural acidity with richness and alcohol, which in warm years reaches or exceeds 15% Vol. So structured that it continues to shine even after ten years in the bottle. I was lucky enough to taste it with plin ai tre arrosti prepared by Gianfranco’s mother, Marisa — tiny ravioli where pork, beef, and rabbit each reveal their character. Unforgettable.
Alta Langa DOCG Rosé Bio
Before giving you the website — where you can explore all of Gianfranco’s wines — a final word on the Alta Langa DOCG Rosé Bio. This is a sparkling wine of remarkable quality: 100% Pinot Noir, always vintage‑dated, and extra brut, with less than 6 g/l of residual sugar. It is disgorged after at least 30 months on the lees. What can I say? With this bottle you can pair every indulgence, from shellfish to oysters, really nothing less in front of the bubbles of our cousins across the Alps. I even used it in an unusual way — Gianfranco will forgive me — mixing it with mineral water and flour to make a batter for Ligurian anchovies so light they practically floated off the plate. Heavenly.
And while you’re taking notes, here’s another Bubbio address: Agriturismo Tre Colline in Langa, run by the talented farmer‑cook Paola Arpione. We’ll stop there in one of the next episodes of Welcome to Food, also because she has a long‑standing connection with the Torelli wines.
With Paola, we’ll find new sensations and emotions that bring us into harmony with the planet. I’m not exaggerating.
One step at a time — and see you in Bubbio.
www.vinitorelli.it
