Visconti winery

Six simple ingredients for a natural wine and in total harmony with the environment that surrounds it: we came to know Nicola, in his Visconti winery, in Vigoleno, in the Piacenza area.

His story

History and nature, tradition and innovation, passion and commitment

We reach Nicola in his cellar in Vigoleno, an ancient village-castle on the border between the Ducati of Parma and Piacenza, right on the crest of the hills between the Stirone Park and the Ongina Valley.

The cellar enjoys an incredible panoramic view over the entire plain below, the view is lost on the vineyards of the cellar itself which gently descend to the valley.

Nicola starts right from the history of these vineyards: once belonging to the powerful curia of Vigoleno and its lords, the vines present on the land of the village have a thousand-year history behind them. Over the centuries it has guaranteed work and sustenance for the population torn apart by wars and famines.

Of particular and ancient tradition is Vin Santo di Vigoleno, a meditation wine as well as the smallest DOC in Italy, of which Cantina Visconti is one of the few remaining producers.

Fifteen hectares of vineyards also allow the production of the typical wines of the Colli Piacentini DOC

Gutturnio, Bonarda, Barbera and Cabernet Sauvignon for the reds whites instead Ortrugo, Monterosso Val d’Arda, Malvasia, Sauvignon and Chardonnay for a total of 500 hectoliters per year (about 60 thousand bottles) all obtained with the rural (or ancestral) method, that is to say natural, therefore listening to the plant and its needs.

The Visconti family and tradition

To better understand the value of the cellar tradition, Nicola is keen to tell that even before being a company, Visconti winery is a big family.

It was Pietro Visconti who started it, when in 1960 he decided to transform the barn into a cellar and to buy several hectares of vineyards near the village of Vigoleno, where his family had resided for years.

Thanks to the constancy of his two sons, Giovanni and Massimo, the winery now lives thanks to the work and dedication of his nephews Giuliano and Nicola, sons of Giovanni and Nicola son of Massimo.

The structure has undergone great transformations since that distant 1960, allowing an ever wider production.

From that first cellar, however, the method has not changed much:

• harvesting is done by hand, a very slow but more accurate process than motorized harvesting
• then the pressing takes place in old generation presses
• fermentation in barrels, without the support of an autoclave or additives and / or fining agents

This is why Cantina Visconti’s wine is proudly a natural wine, the son of hills and winds, of healthy and unexploited plants, of the manual work of the Visconti family.

How to visit and stop inside the cellar

The Visconti Massimo winery remains in Località Pollorsi n. 2: you can easily reach it from Salsomaggiore, then Scipione and then cross the Stirone stream and head towards Case Orsi.

Definitely the guided tour of the winery and the tasting of wines and Vin Santo thanks to the two large tasting rooms. However, reservations are required
Walk in the vineyards to touch the plants of the vine and get to know their characteristics (depending on the season)
Overnight in the company’s private square, thanks to the incredible panoramic terrace overlooking the rows of vineyards that descend towards the Po Valley. On clear days the majestic chain of the Alps peeks out on the horizon. You can do it thanks to the manufacturer file that Nicola has compiled for us to stop with the services

Our personally conclusions

Talking to a young Nicola, who tells us about his passion and his love for the territory and his land, is nothing short of exciting. Being able to hear the story of his family almost means being part of it