Christmas in the hills: places in the Oltrepò Pavese among ancient stones, vineyards and flavours
In Canneto Pavese for a toast Christmas
Before leaving the Oltrepò there is one stop not to be missed, at least for lovers of good drink: Canneto Pavese. Here, viticulture that combines tradition and territory, and the mix of different grape varieties and microclimates that allow for a great variety of grape varieties, finds one of its best expressions in Buttafuoco Storico, the most prized and full-bodied wine (the DOC regulations require a minimum of 36 months from harvest to sale of the bottle) of the Oltrepò. Cultivated in about 20 vineyards on a surface area of only 22 hectares, it apparently takes its name from a dialect expression ("buta al feüg") of the Milanese poet Carlo Porta, who two centuries ago crossed the Po river and came down to these lands to drink and buy wine. A stop at the Consorzio Club del Buttafuoco Storico, in the hamlet of Vigalone, should definitely be put on the agenda for those who want to take advantage of the Christmas period for a trip out of town or a relaxing weekend of good drinking and wine-tasting in the cellar and a regenerating walk among the vineyards and winter rows.
