Monferrato · Winery · Curated profile

Ferraris Agricola

Ferraris Agricola

Ferraris Agricola is Luca Ferraris's family estate in Castagnole Monferrato, in the Asti hills of the Monferrato. Luca returned here in the late 1990s, when most families had left, and released his first vintage in 2001. Wife Chiara joined in 2007; children Ilaria and Damiano are part of the story. In 2016 the estate became sole owner of Vigna del Parroco, planted in 1964 by the priest who first vinified Ruché and helped it win DOC status in 1987. Ferraris farms 34 of its 50 hectares in the small Ruché zone, making about 300,000 bottles a year. Ruché di Castagnole Monferrato, a rare, semi-aromatic red found only here, is the heart of the estate, alongside Barbera d'Asti, Moscato d'Asti, a pioneering Viognier and, as Tenuta Santa Chiara, Alta Langa sparkling wine from Roccaverano.

Alta Langa DOCG is Italy's only denomination dedicated solely to classic method sparkling wine, requiring hand-harvested grapes and at least 24 months on the lees.

At a glance

Region
Monferrato, Piemonte, Italy
Address
Località Rivi 7, SP 14, 14030 Castagnole Monferrato (AT)
Winemaker
Luca Ferraris
Tours
Not listed
Tastings
Available
Wines listed
14
Website
https://www.ferrarisagricola.com

Visits & tastings

A visit means tasting in the historic cellar and courtyard of Casa Ferraris, in the centre of Castagnole Monferrato; the guided tour and tasting are always by appointment, and the wine shop is open to walk-ins only at weekends.

Tastings

  • Estate tasting at Casa Ferraris · guided through the full range, from Ruché to Alta Langa, Viognier, Barbera and Moscato d'Asti · €30 per person

Good to know

  • By appointment only for the guided tasting; book through the website
  • Wine shop and courtyard open Saturday and Sunday 10:00 to 18:00, weekdays by appointment
  • The historic underground cellar, cut into tufo stone, and the "infernot" have been open to visitors since 2023

Contact

Wines from Ferraris Agricola

  • Alta Langa: Alta Langa DOCG, Pinot Nero 66%, Chardonnay 34%, Sparkling. Tenuta Santa Chiara's Alta Langa DOCG metodo classico, two thirds Pinot Nero and one third Chardonnay, from the estate's own vineyards near Roccaverano.
  • Bisou: Piemonte DOC Viognier, Viognier, White. A selection of the best grapes from Ferraris Agricola's highest, sunniest Viognier vineyards; the estate has grown the variety since 2006.
  • Blanc de Noir: Vino Spumante di Qualità, Pinot Nero 100%, Sparkling. A blanc de noir metodo classico made only from Pinot Nero, vinified white and aged 24 months on the lees.
  • Castelletto di Montemagno: Ruché di Castagnole Monferrato DOCG Riserva, Ruché 100%, Red. A Ruché Riserva made in purity from a vineyard planted in 2017 at Montemagno, on sandy, clay-limestone soils.
  • Clàsic: Ruché di Castagnole Monferrato DOCG, Ruché, Red. For more than 25 years, Ferraris Agricola's benchmark Ruché, blending grapes from five different areas of the appellation for a consistent house style.
  • Del Martìn: Barbera d'Asti DOCG, Barbera, Red. A classic, traditional-style Barbera d'Asti, aged briefly in steel to keep its fruit and freshness intact.
  • Il Giaj: Moscato d'Asti DOCG, Moscato, Sweet. Moscato d'Asti from the part of the Asti-Cuneo border best suited to the variety, naturally sweet and gently sparkling.
  • La Regina: Barbera d'Asti DOCG Superiore, Barbera, Red. A medium-bodied, well-structured Barbera d'Asti Superiore from Montegrosso d'Asti, aged about a year in tonneaux.
  • Opera Prima: Ruché di Castagnole Monferrato DOCG Riserva, Ruché, Red. Made only in exceptional years, from a small, very sandy plot in the heart of the Ruché area; the estate describes it as born from the bond between a grandson and his grandfather.
  • Rosé de Noir: Vino Spumante di Qualità, Pinot Nero 100%, Sparkling. A rosé metodo classico made only from Pinot Nero, aged 24 months on the lees, from Tenuta Santa Chiara's vineyards near Roccaverano.
  • Sant'Eufemia: Ruché di Castagnole Monferrato DOCG, Ruché, Red. The most straightforward and immediate expression of Ruché in the range, aged briefly in steel to keep its typical aromas intact.
  • Sensazioni: Piemonte DOC Viognier, Viognier, White. A fresh, immediate style of Viognier, aged briefly in steel; Ferraris Agricola has grown the variety since 2006.
  • Vigna del Parroco: Ruché di Castagnole Monferrato DOCG, Ruché, Red. Ruché from the vineyard planted in 1964 by the priest who saved the variety from abandonment; Ferraris Agricola has been its sole owner since 2016.
  • Viti Centenarie: Barbera d'Asti DOCG Colli Astiani, Barbera, Red. Barbera from vines planted in 1916 at Montegrosso d'Asti, whose small, loose bunches give a structured, complex wine.