The Timorasso Derthona race: from a few hectares to 2 million bottles

More than 786,000 bottles of Timorasso Derthona were produced in 2023: 59% more than in 2022, in a year that was certainly not a record year for Italian wine. But in the 1980s, the historic white grape variety had almost disappeared. In 2000, only 3-4 hectares were cultivated. In 2018 it had become 128, then the surge and now the vineyards cover around 400 hectares. And if a decade agoa hectare could be bought for 30 thousand euros, today it is worth 150 to 200 thousand.

In between was the work of the pioneer Walter Massa and those who, together with him, believed in the strength and originality of this white wine that lends itself very well to ageing, with its mineral savouriness that is making it increasingly appreciated even outside the circle of insiders. 'We used to leave in the evenings in the car after work with bottles in the boot to convince Milanese restaurateurs one by one,' says one of the historic producers. Then came the first recognitions and the local winegrowers returned to focus on the indigenous grape variety that had been abandoned over time, because it was less fruitful and certainly more 'scurvy and inconstant' and 'tiring to work with' than Barbera, Cortese and Dolcetto.

Finally came the investments from outside, first from the rest of Piedmont, then from all over Italy. So if ten years ago there were 35 members of the Colli Tortonesi DOC Consortium (which protects Timorasso and other wines from the area), today there are 109. But even today the 'langaroli' are seen by some as invaders. "We owe a lot to them, also in terms of visibility,' says Consortium President Gian Paolo Repetto, who left his early life as a manager to return to the wine of his land. 'On promotional tours in the USA we had to explain who we were and where we came from, now there is a queue at the stand to find out the details of the wines of the wineries, not to know what Timorasso is. And this is also thanks to some big names that have invested in our territory and helped us to establish ourselves abroad, which is constantly growing and is now worth 60% of the market". USA in the lead, but also Scandinavian countries, Belgium, Switzerland, Australia. And almost everything goes to restaurants, even in Italy where the share exceeds 90%. "It is because of the marked aptitude for gastronomic pairings and because it gives the possibility of keeping more vintages in the cellar," says Repetto.

Timorasso dei Colli Tortonesi is now, however, making an extra effort to make itself known as Derthona (the ancient name for Tortona): for now it is a trademark, but its recognition as a sub-zone of the DOC is in its final stages. Denominations protect the area but not the name of the vine and by now Timorasso is planted in many areas of Italy and the world. "This is the only way to link our Timorasso to the territory," Repetto continues, "which is in any case very vast and varied in relation to the area planted with vines and therefore gives rise to different declinations while respecting typicality. The specification, which is restrictive, envisages three types:Piccolo Derthona, Derthona and Derthona Riserva, all 100% Timorasso and with a yield of 75 quintals per hectare.

The future? "With the new vineyards up and running, production should double in three years. Without going into technicalities, we can say that if there were already a DOC today we would be around one million bottles, in three years it could be two. For a production value that could therefore at least double to 26 million against about 13 million today. A growth, however, to be governed by the degree of market absorption at the right values. "We remain a niche, but one thing is certain: wine has to be sold, not just produced," Repetto states concretely. In the meantime, let's think about this year, where excessive rain will probably give us problems.