For some years now, I have dedicated myself with great pleasure and interest to the search for excellent agri-food products among small artisan businesses in Italy, particularly in my own region, Piedmont. A few months ago, I discovered a small farm and winery in the hills of the municipality of Lerma, in the province of Alessandria, in the Alto Monferrato area. Among the many wineries, this one intrigued me for its small, excellent production in limited quantities. A type of wine I am particularly passionate about: Metodo Classico Sparkling Wines! The winery is called "La Casanella" and is a small, family-run artisan farm, where Roberto and his family dedicate themselves with great passion to working in their own vineyards and producing the typical wines of the Alto Monferrato area, and more! Classic wines, but also fine ones, aimed at an audience of connoisseurs seeking truly exclusive, excellent artisan products. A niche production that was just waiting to be discovered and made known! The winery owns 6 hectares of vineyards where the grapes are harvested exclusively by hand and carried in small crates to preserve the precious bunches, the result of a whole year's work! In no time, the bunches reach the winery, where the artisan vinification of the typical wines of these lands takes place. The classic wine production includes 6 labels: "Torre valle scura" Ovada DOCG - Dolcetto di Ovada Superiore Riserva; "Bricco Casanella" Ovada DOCG - Dolcetto di Ovada Superiore; "Rugiada" - Rosé from Dolcetto grapes; "Soasì" - Varietal White from Sauvignon Blanc grapes; "Bric Rajà" - Varietal Red from Cabernet Sauvignon grapes; "Solè" - Passito from Cortese and Sauvignon Blanc grapes. Wines that truly express themselves at their best with every taste! A beautiful expression of this territory and of the skilled work of Roberto and his family. Among all the wines tasted, I was truly fascinated by their Metodo Classico Millesimato Sparkling Wines "Giulia Contea", the only winery in Italy to produce three labels using pure Dolcetto grapes vinified as white and rosé using the traditional method, that is, re-fermented in the bottle and strictly by hand! Superior quality sparkling wines, I would say absolutely unique, since Dolcetto grapes have always been vinified as red wine, like their Dolcetto di Ovada DOCG and the Rosato, but with his sparkling wines, Roberto has managed to create a new and surprising expression from this important preserved Piedmontese grape variety! Just think that the entire process is carried out by hand, from the preparation of the base wines to the second fermentation, including the "remuage" on traditional wooden pupitres, all the way to the "dègorgement à la glace". Sparkling wines that "rest" and age on the lees for 24 up to 50 months! Roberto's great passion for nature, viticulture, wine, and sparkling wines in particular, has led him to make numerous trips to Champagne, France, where, together with his family and his winemaker, he managed to grasp the finer details of the traditional or "champenoise" method as told by small producers, the "Récoltants", independent vignerons who shared with them some "secrets" that later allowed for the first production, in 2014, of sparkling wines of great elegance and finesse, offered in three variations: "Giulia Contea" VSQ Dolcetto Metodo Classico Blanc de Noirs Pas Dosé Millesimato; "Giulia Contea" VSQ Dolcetto Metodo Classico Blanc de Noirs Brut Millesimato; "Giulia Contea" VSQ Dolcetto Metodo Classico Rosé Brut Millesimato. Unique, elegant sparkling wines with a fine, persistent perlage. Their broad and fragrant aromatic bouquet and the well-balanced harmony between structure and freshness make them excellent companions for pure conviviality, suitable for any occasion, particularly for important pairings with national and international, traditional and innovative cuisine.