Erbaluna

Erbaluna - Barolo in organic

The Azienda Vitivinicola Erbaluna di Andrea Oberto is located in La Morra, in the heart of the Langa hills. This is the home of the fourth generation of the Oberto family, which has been involved in viticulture since the beginning of the last century, in a region that has always been dedicated to winemaking. The visitor immediately senses the perfect fusion of traditional winemaking and state-of-the-art technology: old bottles stored in the most hidden and silent rooms, the exposed brick ceilings of the cellars and the large wooden barrels characteristic of the slow aging of Barolo stand alongside steel tanks and state-of-the-art machinery. In the mid-1980s, brothers Andrea and Severino Oberto decided to change the face of their winery, opting for organic farming and trying to re-establish contact with the land that seemed to have been lost in recent decades. Gradually they acquired new vineyards, converted them to organic farming methods and directed sales mainly to Northern Europe, already trained in organic farming, and then to the rest of the world. Today Andrea lives on the winery with his family.

The step towards ecology

The year 1986 marked a turning point, and in 1993 the labels of the estate's bottles were marked "wine from organic grapes" and the indication of the certification body for cultivation methods according to the EC regulation. In those years the Oberto family, together with a small group of Piedmontese and Tuscan winemakers with whom they shared know-how, goals and passions, became known as "organic pioneers". For some years now, thanks to the photovoltaic system installed on the roofs of the cellar and the house, they have been generating all the electricity the winery needs. All the rainwater is collected and stored in old barrels placed at the foot of the drainage pipes that run down from the roofs, and then used for the treatments in the vineyard.

Vineyard and cellar of Erbaluna

The winery is located in the Barolo region of the Langhe in Piedmont, and accordingly the renowned Italian wine is naturally found in the winery's range. In addition, several single-varietal wines and a cuvée are also produced, so from the grape varieties:

• Nebbiolo
• Barbera
• Dolcetto

In addition, some specialties are also produced, such as the sweet wine Barolo Chinato, a brandy and a grappa.

A look back in history

The winery's cellar is historically interesting: the year 1915 is engraved on an old brick wall of the historic cellar, where the wines are still aging in large 30-hectoliter barrels, indicating the year the cellar was first renovated. A 1933 certificate honors Barolo from the 1927, 1928, 1929 and 1930 vintages, confirming the winery's long-standing tradition and commitment to quality. In some niches of the cellar there are bottles of Barolo from the 1920s, as well as a collection of all vintages since 1958. Above the winery is the ancestral home of the Oberto family. It has been carefully and tastefully renovated and is now a country inn offering comfortable accommodation in tastefully furnished rooms with original furniture from the last century.