Top of the World
A fascinating underground itinerary that traces the history of Italian sparkling wine through the Gancia archives, the historic brand that holds the primogeniture of bubbles "made in Italy".The underground cathedrals, historical cellars of Gancia, wind and are preserved underground in the city of Canelli. For their beauty and importance, they have been chosen by UNESCO to be recognized as a World Heritage Site, as part of the project for the candidacy of the wine landscapes of Southern Piedmont.
The underground cathedrals of Casa Gancia represent an incalculable historical heritage of architecture dedicated to oenology: they have been excavated in the past centuries in calcareous tuff, perfect natural thermal insulation able to maintain a constant temperature of 12-14 degrees, ideal for the processing and aging of great wines.
The crushing of grapes from crates of Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Moscato, for the production of Metodo Classico Gancia sparkling wines, takes place in suggestive cellars of over 600 square meters, with exposed brick vaults dating back to the early nineteenth century. Here there is the Marmonier Press, with two cages of 4500 kg each, for the pressing of 60% of the grapes in a very soft way, 16 temperature-controlled stainless steel tanks of over 80,000 litres, destined for the fermentation and preservation of Metodo Classico sparkling wine bases for the cuvèe and 300 barriques of 225 litres for the fermentation and maturation of the wine. To visit the historic cellars, please contact Casa Gancia at 0141-830262, 0141-830253 or by email to: franco.ferrero@gancia.it
