Colli Tortonesi: Derthona Due.Zero confirms the growth of Timorasso

Two days full of appointments, masterclasses, preview tastings and a large tasting counter. The third edition of DerthonaDue.Zero has just ended, the event organized by the Consorzio Tutela Vini Colli Tortonesi to enhance and spread the knowledge of the white wine obtained from the Timorasso vine, symbol of the Renaissance of the Tortona hills.

Over the two days of the event, the historic headquarters of the Orsi Museum in Tortona was once again the scene of many events this year, starting with the large tasting counter where enthusiasts and sector operators were able to preview the wines of the 2021 vintage , in addition to the total production of the 53 companies present .

" We are really very satisfied, this event has confirmed itself as a central appointment for spreading knowledge of Derthona wines obtained from the Timorasso vine" says Gian Paolo Repetto, president of the Consorzio Tutela Vini Colli Tortonesi. " This ancient autochthonous vine of the Colli Tortonesi is increasingly appreciated by the public as well as by both national and international critics thanks to its ability to be able to restore the territory of origin in the glass and to be able, at the same time, to defy time with great ease ".

Also this year the Tortona hills welcomed more than thirty Italian and international journalists, who were able to get to know in depth, thanks to a professional tasting, the characteristics of the latest vintage on the market, 2021, as well as some vintage samples with more years behind. " The 2021 season on our hills was characterized by a not particularly harsh winter and a certainly dry summer " explained Davide Ferrarese , agrotechnician of VignaVeritas. " Hot years have now followed one another quite frequently in recent years, but they are not all the same and must be analyzed in a timely manner so as not to fall into easy generalisations. This year, for example, recorded maximum temperatures around 30 degrees in the summer months, but at the same time also fundamental temperature variations, 15 degrees between day and night, starting from mid-August, which have allowed Timorasso to bring out all its qualities and peculiarities".

Almost disappeared at the beginning of the new century, when there were only 3 hectares , today Timorasso finds space in 330 of the total 1250 hectares of vineyards present on the Colli Tortonesi for a total production of just over a million bottles , but with the aim to get to three in the future . Not easy to cultivate and requiring particular attention in the vineyard, Timorasso gives its best along the six valleys – Ossona, Grue, Curone, Scrivia, Borbera, Spinti – which form this territory from north to south. A very large area, characterized by different altitudes and exposures even within the same valley, and clayey, compact soils, in many cases also made up of the so-called Sant'Agata Fossili marls, the same ones present along the ridge that from Barolo arrives up to Tuscany.

" We have yet to start describing all this incredible biodiversity in detail " added Gianni Fabrizio , journalist and one of the editors of the Gambero Rosso Guide, considered the greatest expert and historical connoisseur of the Timorasso phenomenon. " One of the future tasks of the critics will be precisely to investigate all the individual characteristics that this vine assumes within such a varied territory capable of giving different nuances. Timorasso is a wine capable of giving the best of itself over the years and capable of subverting the historical consideration of Italian white wines present abroad: the tasting, during the event, of many wines perfectly intact several decades after the harvest is proof of this" .

The latest edition of DerthonaDue.Zero also saw the appointment of the Ambassador of Derthona 2023 , an initiative promoted by the Consorzio dei Colli Tortonesi to reward the work and dedication of those professionals in the sector who every year undertake to make this territory known and its vine symbol. This year the prize was awarded to Enrico Crippa , chef of the 3 Michelin star restaurant Piazza Duomo in Alba (CN). "Since the beginning of their history in the 2000s, the Ceretto family and Enrico Crippa have given space to Timorasso, including it in one of the most prestigious wine lists in Italy, while also giving it great visibility at an international level " explained the president of the Consortium. " If Timorasso has become so good, it's also thanks to the people who make it," said chef Enrico Crippa . "Today the level is really very high. We have always believed in the white wines of Piedmont, which is why we have also included Timorasso in our itineraries as a great representative of this category".

Finally, on the occasion of Derthona Due.Zero, Derthona Giovani was presented: 20 wine producers and 12 companies in the food sector joined together to promote, communicate and enhance the Colli Tortonesi area through the organization of events involving associations and different local realities, participation in food and wine events in Italy and abroad and collaborations with schools and cultural exchanges with other youth associations.