Poderi Colla

Colla a family devoted to Wine

From "casks of vino negro" to the grand crus of Barolo and Barbaresco, via Moscatello, Vermouth and Spumante Metodo Classico: 300 years of history narrated through the wines in which the Colla family have excelled, devoting themselves to research and testing, protecting and promoting the great wines of Piedmont.

1700-1800: THE BEGINNINGS. Documents dating from 1703 mark the beginnings of the Colla family's history in wine making: Carlo Colla, together with his son Stefano, sold "barrels of Rosatello" and "casks of vino negro" produced on his land in Santo Stefano Belbo. In 1778 his grandson Pietro bought a farmstead with vineyards in San Giorgio (formerly Arzignano) di Castiglione Tinella and sold Moscatello.

1800-1900: THE MOSCATO AND VERMOUTH IDEA. In the 1700s, Carpano created vermouth, and Pietro Colla and his eldest son Giuseppe learned the art of producing this "aromatic muscatel." Thanks to his wisdom and skill, Giuseppe became Carlo Gancia's trusted associate, whilst the Colla family continued to produce their own wines in Castiglione Tinella, as local wine growing and production increased.

1900-1994: SPARKLING WINES AND CRUS. Two members of the Colla family stand out from the rest: Pietro (Giuseppe Colla's grandson) and Beppe (Pietro's eldest son.) These two wrote the history of wine making in Piedmont. Having learned the difficult art of Méthode Champenoise from Giuseppe Gallese, who had imported it from Champagne several decades earlier, Pietro Colla, born in 1894, propagated the art and quality of Spumante Metodo Classico through his work for Gancia and his purchase of prime vineyards in Moncucco di Santo Stefano Belbo. Respected and admired, his opinion was sought by major firms of his day, he was made a member of the newly-formed Asti Consortium (in 1932) and he sold his wines both in Italy and abroad.

The year 1930 saw the birth of his son Beppe, who in 1956 took over Cavaliere Prunotto's firm, making it world famous at a time when the wines of Piedmont were still very little known. This shrewd innovator helped to draw up production regulations for the Alba Designated Origins, constantly striving to improve their quality. In the 1960s he was the first in the Langhe to vinify grapes from the best positions separately and to include on his labels the word cru, of such importance to the protection of this terroir.

In 1949, Pietro's youngest son Tino was born. Having acquired varied experience both abroad and in Italy and worked for Prunotto alongside his brother Beppe, he became the key figure in Poderi Colla, the firm founded in 1994, also drawing on the experience gained by Federica (Tino's granddaughter) and Pietro (Tino's son.)