Ferghettina Winery

[FER-GETT-INA]

Location: Adro, Province of Brescia, Lombardy, Italy

Ferghettina currently has 470 acres under vine with an average yearly production of 500,000 bottles. Roberto styles the wines himself flanked by his children, Laura and Matteo, both university graduates in enology.

Points of Differentiation

• The unique pyramid bottle shape increases lee contact for the Satèn, Rosé, and Milledì wines
• Over 25 years of winemaking expertise
• The winery is now in its second generation
• 470 acres under vine in nine Franciacorta districts

The History

Roberto has always been a man of the land. In 1990, he began to give an elderly family friend a helping hand on the weekends: the woman-owned a tiny winery and after her husband’s death, had a hard time dealing with the details of production. At the time, she sold the grapes in bulk, but she was so impressed she offered to sell Roberto the winery and adjacent three hectares (7.4 acres) under vine, as she was convinced production would shine in Roberto’s hands.

The year was 1991: Gatti left his former employer and struck out on his own – Ferghettina was born, named after the winery location. For the first time, production was bottled under the Ferghettina label, and Roberto released his first Franciacorta Brut in 1992.

Ferghettina grew step by step. After a lifetime in the vineyards, Roberto knew the best fruit ripens gradually. Roberto’s knowledge helped to build his reputation in the region, allowing him to take over new plots on long leases (20-25 years), which he replanted to the strictest standards, eventually running a total of 470 acres under vine, split into nine Franciacorta districts.

The Gatti family winery is supported by a staff of fifteen and has a yearly production of around 350,000 bottles. The wines are styled by Roberto flanked by Laura and Matteo, both university graduates in enology.

In fact, starting with the 2007 vintage for the Ferghettina Rosé and Milledì Brut and the 2014 vintage for the Satèn Brut comes in a unique bottle invented by Matteo Gatti. The bottles have a square base and pyramid-like flat sides so that during aging on the lees, the yeasts of second fermentation have two and a half times greater contact with the wine by comparison with traditional, round-based bottles, which results in greater finesse, flavors, and aromas.

The Terroir

Ferghettina has grown step by step. After a lifetime in the vineyards, Roberto knows the best fruit ripens gradually. Roberto’s knowledge has helped to build his reputation in the region, allowing him to take over new plots on long leases (20-25 years), which he replanted to the strictest standards, eventually running a total of 190 hectares (470 acres) under vine, split into nine Franciacorta districts.

Ferghettina focuses their investments in top-quality equipment and vineyard management. One of these investments included a state-of-the-art, 64,600-square-foot new winery at Adro (again, slightly northwest of Erbusco), designed by Laura’s architect husband. Though built from 2002 to 2005, it is entirely integrated into the landscape: a traditional farmhouse made of timeless-looking bricks and stones, it embraces a gently sloping hill within sight of Lake Iseo