The round table discussion "Val Bormida: The Future Is Already Here" will be held in Bubbio (Asti).

This was the guiding principle of the round table “Val Bormida: the future is already here” , promoted and hosted on 2 October in Bubbio by Colombo , a winery founded in 2003 by Antonio and Andrea Colombo.

A multi-faceted discussion exploring the characteristics of an evolving region through diverse yet complementary perspectives: from geology and biodiversity to the potential of viticulture, from applied research to the new challenges posed by climate change.

Andrea Colombo , co-owner of the winery with his father Antonio, opened the meeting: "In 2003, we fell in love with this valley and founded the Colombo winery. Since then, we have chosen to invest in this area, convinced that the Bormida Valley offers exceptional conditions for expressing and enhancing the potential of two extraordinary grape varieties: Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. Today's meeting was born precisely from this desire: to explore, through diverse skills and experiences, the characteristics of an evolving territory that deserves attention and is increasingly establishing itself as an interesting reality not only from an agricultural and production perspective, but also from a landscape, cultural, and tourism perspective. We believe that knowing and describing a region means, first and foremost, understanding its peculiarities, potential, and prospects, and working as a team."

Luigi Bertini, oenologist and university professor, emphasized at the opening of the meeting that this meeting, on what he called "the surprising Val Bormida," comes at a challenging time for the wine sector in many ways: "But wine ," said Bertini, " is like a phoenix; even in the most difficult times, it finds the tools to react and rise again, even stronger than before."

Moderated by journalist Roberto Fiori , the round table highlighted the distinctive character of the valley, starting with the landscape, described in the speech “From the land to the table: how the Val Bormida territory shapes quality agriculture” by Edmondo Bonelli , wine technician, doctor in Natural Sciences and great interpreter of the territories.

"This area is a concentration of resources. A still natural landscape, closely tied to its geological origins ," Bonelli explained . "It is a landscape of man, who has inhabited it since ancient times, thanks to its resources and the ease with which it has been embroidered with terraces. The Bormida Valley preserves elements that make up its wildest and most mysterious side. The sedimentary rocks that accumulated over millions of years in the ancient Ligurian-Piedmontese sea contain mineral constituents dismantled from the surrounding Alps and Apennines, mixed with the elements of the sea, and then transformed into rock by long burial. These stratified rocks, calcareous, soft or very hard, when brought to the surface and raised to the hillsides, began to transform into soil on the surface. These soils preserve the richness of the mountains along with that of the sea. The landscape we observe today in the valley is in itself a gigantic atlas of the natural history of lower Piedmont. Each geological phase has generated different geological formations, Each has created its own landscape, as it has responded differently to the erosive agents that shaped the hills. Each has generated different soils, which have allowed certain botanical species to thrive, while denying others. First the forest and the meadow , then the field , the hazelnut tree and the vineyard.

They have drawn the vitality of these lands from the primordial environments and translated it into extraordinary products. Thus, beech and chestnut trees have found space on the humid slopes with neutral soils, while downy oak and Scots pine have firmly established themselves on the steep, sunny slopes. Because in the Bormida Valley the forest is still widespread, lush, diversified in its natural typologies , little disturbed by human activity. Even the grazed meadows are still present and home to the flocks that allow the expert production of Roccaverano robiola , as well as hundreds of herbaceous species , including precious orchids , spread throughout the valley with dozens of species. In the most fertile lands, the hazelnut tree finds its cradle, and the Tonda Gentile delle Langhe variety is born here, bordering the nearby Belbo Valley. In the most special ravines, the white truffle , a rare pearl of the humid limestone gullies, appears widely, along with the prized black truffle , which instead widely colonizes the sandy, sunny terraces. And then the vineyard . Viticulture in the valley has very ancient origins , historical evidence in hand. Today it still preserves its historic vines, Dolcetto, Moscato, Barbera, and is discovering its affinity with varieties that arrive from the other side of the Alps, partly surprisingly, and partly with the awareness of some historical attempt already successful some time ago. Thus Pinot Noir and Chardonnay ripen between sandy terraces and light marl, enjoying the soils that, thanks to their ancient marine origins, preserve water and mineral resources that allow the vine to express itself wonderfully. All this in combination with the valley's climate . And the valley's climate too is a small overview of many environments, sometimes so different as to host spontaneous Alpine species and, just a few hundred meters away, eminently Mediterranean species. Just as the natural vegetation changes, diversifying into an explosive fabric of biodiversity, so too do the vineyards and then the wines tell us of the wealth of diverse environments in the Bormida Valley, some explored, some yet to be discovered. The valley has it all: the hand of man , extraordinary products, and a nature that lives and expresses itself powerfully.

The relationship between territory, viticulture and ongoing changes was then addressed by Vincenzo Gerbi , full professor of Viticulture and Oenology at the University of Turin and vice president of the Italian Academy of Vine and Wine, with the speech “Oenological choices induced by climate change and the peculiarities of the Val Bormida territory” .

After a long period of growth in the economic and symbolic value of wine, it now seems like we've entered a perfect storm, with declining wine consumption, growing difficulties in grape growing due to excessive summer temperatures, difficulties in effectively combating new diseases, the emergence of devastating parasites, and rising fuel costs. This situation risks sapping enthusiasm and the desire for progress from even the most enlightened entrepreneurs. When epochal changes in consumption habits occur, it's important to acknowledge them and evaluate the best strategies to accommodate them. However, in the case of wine, the reasoning is more complex because wine isn't simply an alcoholic beverage that can be reformulated to meet market demand, but rather the ultimate expression of the terroir, the grape variety, and the winemaker's expertise. Gerbi then examined the operational choices that can enhance the characteristics of the grapes destined for the production of Alta Langa DOCG and fine red wines , connecting the terroir's unique characteristics with new climate conditions and the evolution of the sector.

Silvia Guidoni , associate professor at DISAFA of the University of Turin, gave a speech dedicated to research and innovation, entitled “Research and climate change: knowledge and techniques to respond to new challenges in viticulture” .

Guidoni illustrated two research activities currently underway.

The first, carried out in synergy with numerous companies and public and private entities, through a topographical-meteorological zoning project, aims to build and share knowledge regarding the microclimates of the vineyard hills of Southern Piedmont.

The second concerns the construction of a freely accessible platform ( Climate and Vine Project – Strategies for adapting the wine sector to climate change ) to share with winemakers and technicians knowledge and viticultural management strategies derived from the results of international research on the responses of vines and vineyards to increasingly frequent climatic conditions, including extreme ones.

Antonio Colombo , cardiologist and founder of the winery together with his son Andrea, brought a contribution dedicated to the relationship between "Wine and Health" : a complex topic, which does not allow for definitive and scientifically valid answers.

“ But moderate wine consumption, combined with a healthy diet and a healthy lifestyle, is permitted. Because – concluded Antonio Colombo – we should not drink for our health, but drink moderately for our health .”

The round table also brought together several producers from the Bormida Valley in Bubbio, in particular representatives of the Gallo Agricultural Company , the Torelli Winery and Isolabella della Croce , together with operators and representatives of the agricultural world (the president of the Roccaverano DOP Protection Consortium , hazelnut producers), in a discussion that focused on knowledge of the territory as a starting point for building new networks and shared development prospects.

The company

Founded: 2003
Founder: Antonio Colombo, Andrea Colombo
Location: Bubbio, Bormida Valley – Alta Langa Astigiana
Vineyard area: 10 hectares
Grape varieties: Pinot Noir, Chardonnay
Production: still wines and vintage Classic Method wines
Reference denomination: Alta Langa DOCG
Bottles produced from the 2025 harvest: ~95,000