It is known as the wine of the people. This name is because of its freshness and acidity, resulting in much lighter, acidic wines with lower tannins that could be enjoyed every day without any issues. Its success has also been largely due to the fact that this variety, which originated in the north of Italy (in Monferrato), is the third most cultivated in the country, becoming a symbol that Italian emigrants took to the United States and Argentina in the 19th and 20th centuries. This grape is the Barbera, the base variety used to make the Stella Giuseppe Stravisan Barbera d'Asti red wine.
This wine is made under the D.O.C.G.Barbera d'Asti, at Stella Giuseppe, a family business in Costigliole d'Asti, in the heart of Monferrato, founded in 1920 by Giuseppe Stella where wine has always had a special place. This importance has been maintained over the years, becoming the estate’s core business, producing a dozen wines from the area’s native varieties like Grignolino or Freisa. This is the philosophy behind the work of this business, which is currently run by Giuseppe Stella and his sons Massimo and Paolo, and they strive to showcase the character of this Piedmont region. There is no point in producing wines if each bottle does not contain a small piece of this land.
To make Stella Giuseppe Stravisan Barbera d'Asti, the grapes come directly from the 1.5 hectares of the Stravisan vineyard, which grows on clay soils and faces south-west. The Stella Giuseppe Stravisan Barbera d'Asti grapes are taken to the winery in perforated boxes and are gently destemmed, with low pressures, extracting the must in a very delicate way. This takes care of the tannin and acidity that can develop in this red wine following alcoholic fermentation, but before that, Stella Giuseppe Stravisan Barbera d'Asti macerates for about 7 days with the skins until it finally becomes wine in stainless steel tanks. It begins aging in the same place, for 8 to 9 months, before being transferred to the bottle, where it rests for 6 months until it can be sold and marketed.