Butterflies in the Vineyard: a Weekend at an Old Farmhouse in Dogliani – Part II

After a wander through the historic centre, we reach our lodgings for this long weekend at the farm and B&B Cascina Corte, in Borgata Valdiberti. We park comfortably in front of the old farmhouse, whose building probably dates from the 1400s, and as soon as we get out we are left speechless: before us opens a view over the hills, the vineyards and the nearby villages that it is an understatement to call breathtaking. We are in the middle of those hills, and yet it is a bit as if we were seeing them from above, so vast is the panorama that the green rows of vines draw before us on this crisp spring day.

Welcoming us with great kindness are Mr Sandro and Mrs Amalia, the owners who, with genuine passion, have turned this farmhouse from the ruin it was into a wonderful place to spend regenerating holidays in close contact with nature.

"As for hospitality, our idea was to open up our own home; indeed, the four rooms available to guests are made from various spaces of the same building where we live," Mrs Amalia explains as she takes us to our room, which at the time was part of the hayloft. "The rooms upstairs, on the other hand, are made from what was once the granary, and you can tell even from the fact that the stone steps are worn where men used to pass carrying heavy sacks of grain on their shoulders," Mrs Amalia continues.

Our room is simply fabulous: spacious, furnished with old family pieces that nonetheless all have a very pleasant, fresh country style. The pastel colours of the furnishings, walls and fabrics are as relaxing as the splendid view of the surrounding hills. The elegant stuccoes recall the 1700s, when the owner of the house was Ignazio Corte — from whom the farmhouse takes its name — grand chancellor of the king and an esteemed figure. The historic building has been restored keeping as much as possible of its original features and using natural materials.

After settling in, we take a tour of the estate, discovering not only a riot of flowers and beautiful panoramas, but also many curiosities about organic viticulture. Cascina Corte was, in fact, born as an organic farm producing the typical wines of the Langhe: Dolcetto, Barbera and Nebbiolo. Wines of excellent quality that have won over foreign customers too, and whose bottles catch the eye also for the originality of their labels, drawn by Maria Battaglia, a children's book illustrator and Mrs Amalia's sister. On a bottle of Barbera, for example, we find a friendly hare, and Mr Sandro explains why. "Hares, but also roe deer and wild boar, are intelligent animals that go where they find a natural environment, not polluted by chemicals. That is why around here you see many hares and other woodland animals."

Organic wine indeed means, for example, not using herbicides and treating the vineyard only with copper sulphate, banning all synthetic products. "Not only do we not use herbicide, we even plant grass in the vineyard. But not just any grass: a blend of a good eighteen selected seeds to enrich the soil. The more biodiversity there is in the vineyards, the more balance there is, which then translates into balance in the wine too. In the cellar we do not use added yeasts, and this too guarantees the uniqueness of our product. In our vineyards there are many flowers, and you often see colourful butterflies. We cut the grass several times a year, which clearly means extra work, but it is worth it," Mr Sandro explains.

"For us this has been a life choice. We bought these vineyards in 2001 and in 2002 we did the first harvest. We turned to organic straight away, because we thought that if we wanted to live amid pollution, we might as well stay in Milan. Then our daughters arrived, and today we are happy also because the children can play outside freely or eat grapes without us having to worry about their health," Mr Sandro continues.

Our days at Cascina Corte begin with an abundant breakfast of selected local typical products. We thus have the pleasure of tasting exquisite cured meats and cold cuts, including galantina, together with a great variety of local cheeses accompanied by fresh bread. We also very much like the jams made with the farmhouse's fruit, and the honey of Nonno, produced by Mrs Amalia's father. We also taste typical hazelnut desserts, as well as fresh seasonal fruit.

Thanks to the energy received from these treats, we do not even feel tired during the days given over to long walks in the countryside. We follow the road leading to Monforte d'Alba through an enchanting landscape, but we also make car trips to nearby towns including Alba, Barolo and the beautiful Mondovì, famous also for being crossed by the Gradus Taurinensis meridian, discovered in the 1700s by the scientist Giovanni Battista Beccaria, a native of the town.

At the end of our holiday we also buy a few bottles of Cascina Corte organic wine, and once back in the big city all we need is to sip it to dream of still being there, in that fairy-tale Langhe landscape that smiles at us also from the colourful labels of the bottles, and where we are certain to return soon for another holiday among flowers, little hares, birds and butterflies.

Francesca Bertha

FOR INFORMATION:

Cascina Corte Borgata Valdiberti, 33 San Luigi, Dogliani (CN) Tel.: 0173/743539