Boffa
The Boffa winery, which bears the family's last name, can be found in the middle of the lovely Piedmont scenery, in the small village of Barbaresco, next to the village church. The house offers a stunning view over the vineyards of Barbaresco and the high mountains of the Alps looming in the background.
The farm's first vintage was produced by Pietro Boffa together with his father in 1968, after moving to Barbaresco and acquiring the tills and sheds for his family. Since 1996, Pietro's son, Carlo, has been in charge of the farm. Carlo produced his first vintage in 2000 and three years later he decided with his wife Laura to open the farm's doors to the public so that the wines get more attention. Today, Carlo is in charge of the viticulture, orchards and office work, and Laura is in charge of the small hotel with five rooms, which was opened in 2010 in connection with the winery. The couple's thirty-year-old son, Gabriel, who is active in local politics, is responsible for winemaking with his father, and travels around the world marketing the farm's wines.
The family has a total of 6 hectares of vineyards, of which 3 hectares are dedicated to the production of Barbaresco and two Cru Barbaresco. Half a hectare produces the farm's Dolcetto d'Alba and the same area produces the farm's Barbera d'Alba Buschet. Since it is almost impossible to buy new orchards in the area, the Boffas also buy half a hectare of Barbera grapes and some Cabernet Sauvignon, which is used as a blend in the Na Mira wine. White wine made from Arneis grapes is made from the 1-hectare vineyard in Roero.
Boffa's winemaking is a balancing act between traditional vineyard work and modern cellar techniques. Harvesting is done manually and the wines are allowed to ferment slowly, allowing tannins, color and flavor to be extracted from the skins of the grapes. The wines mature in large 1000-2000-liter Slavonian oak barrels.
Depending on the vintage, the farm's annual production is about 42,000 bottles, consisting of 9 different bottlings. Boffa has The Green Experience certificate. The members of the organization undertake to refrain from using chemical weed killers and cherish nature's biodiversity.
