Scarpa’s first Nizza DOCG grows out of our long-standing connection with Nizza Monferrato, at an important moment for the appellation as a whole.
“Nizza is home to us, so making this wine felt like a natural next step. Barbera has always been part of our story and, at such an important moment for the appellation, it felt right to tell that story through Nizza too. We wanted to begin with a specific vineyard and a very simple idea: to let the place shape the wine.”
– Davide Champion
For us, Nizza means home. Scarpa’s story began here, in Nizza Monferrato, in 1900. More than a century later, a new chapter in our relationship with Barbera is taking shape here: Scarpa Nizza DOCG 2023, the inaugural vintage of a new label in our collection.
It is a debut rooted in a place we have known all our lives and in a relatively young appellation built around a clear principle: 100% Barbera, grown on the hills of 18 municipalities in the Monferrato area of Asti.
Nizza DOCG: an appellation built around Barbera
The relationship between Nizza Monferrato and Barbera stretches back centuries. A document dating from 1609, discovered by historian and producer Arturo Bersano, shows that Barbera from these hills was already held in particular regard in the Contado di Nizza della Paglia.
The modern history of the appellation began in the 1990s, when a group of producers started meeting at the Bottega del Vino in Nizza Monferrato with the aim of defining a clear identity for the area’s wine. In 2000, Nizza became a subzone of Barbera d’Asti Superiore. Recognition as Barbera d’Asti Superiore “Nizza” DOCG followed in 2008, and from the 2014 harvest onwards Nizza became a DOCG in its own right. The first wines bearing the new appellation reached the market in 2016.
At the heart of this relatively recent history is a clear choice: Nizza DOCG is made exclusively from Barbera grown in hillside vineyards within the 18 municipalities established by the production regulations. Maximum yields are set at seven tonnes per hectare, while the wine must age for at least 18 months, including a minimum of six months in wood.
Today, this journey is entering a new phase. In 2026, the Associazione Produttori del Nizza, founded in 2002 to support and promote the appellation, became the Consorzio del Nizza DOCG – an important step in protecting and promoting a wine region that continues to grow.
It feels like the right moment for Scarpa to add its own voice to this story, with a new Barbera made here, in the town we have called home for more than a century.
The hills of Nizza
Behind the shared identity of the appellation lies a geologically complex landscape. The hills of Nizza generally range between 150 and 350 metres above sea level and were formed from ancient marine sediments, laid down when what is now Monferrato was still beneath the sea.
As the land gradually rose, it left behind a mosaic of sand, silt, clay and limestone that can change within just a few kilometres. Barbera therefore encounters a range of growing conditions, each capable of influencing the ripening of the grapes and the character of the resulting wines.
Our first Nizza DOCG comes from San Michele, in the municipality of Nizza Monferrato, where 3.3 hectares of Barbera grow at around 350 metres above sea level. Here, Sant’Agata marls are accompanied by a significant sandy component.
The 2023 vintage was both challenging and dry. After an exceptionally hot summer, rainfall in mid-August supported the final stages of ripening. At San Michele, we harvested on 8 September, slightly ahead of the rest of our Barbera, bringing healthy, high-quality grapes into the cellar, with low yields.
Vinification includes 15 days of maceration on the skins, followed by 12 months in large Allier French oak casks and further ageing in bottle. In the glass, blackberry, plum and wild berry notes are carried by pronounced freshness. A total of 6,600 bottles were produced from this inaugural vintage.
With Nizza DOCG 2023, we add a new interpretation to our work with Barbera, through the appellation that bears the name of our town. A new wine, unmistakably at home here.
