Our History The Dezza family began winemaking in Oltrepò Pavese in 1890, but the family’s roots in the area date back three centuries before. Three Dezza brothers moved from Spain to Italy in the 16th century. They were “hidalgos” – Spanish nobility – and arrived after the peace treaty of Cateau-Cambresis in 1559 between France and Spain, which left the Spanish in control of Italy for 150 years. The Dezza brothers found a spot in Oltrepò Pavese and settled there. Pietro Dezza began the vineyard in 1890, with the founding principles of quality viniculture and respect of the land. Pietro was passionate about wine and culture. He made it his mission to produce wine based on Oltrepò traditions His love of winemaking and quest to produce fine wines was carried-on by his son Ettore. Ettore, along with his son Carlo, experimented with new solutions and techniques, managing to innovate while still respecting the family’s well-established winemaking traditions. Dezza1890 is now in its fourth generation. Since 2002, Carlo’s son Ottavio has been devoting himself to the winery and has been running it on his own since Carlo’s passing in 2008. Ottavio has followed in his father’s footsteps, looking to innovate and expand the company, while maintaining one mission: a constant quest for the utmost wine quality. Our Philosophy Our wine is our passion and we believe good wine emanates from careful viniculture, not tricky maneuvers in the cellar. We believe wines should express their terroir and we place the utmost importance on our ancestors’ vineyards, personally tending to them each and every day. Our philosophy of creating the least stress for the grapes starts at the vine and continues through harvesting. Our techniques always respect the vines and protect the environment. We grow our vines using the traditional growing systems of Guyot (Cane pruning) and Cordon (Spur pruning), which offer excellent integration with their soil and exposure. Once in the cellar, winery owner Ottavio Maria Dezza personally monitors the wines daily, tending to them with great attention to detail, always aiming to craft beautiful vintages. We also believe in minimizing sulfites, adding only what is absolutely needed to protect the integrity and quality of the wine, allowing it to age respectfully. Our Vineyards We take care of our vineyards. Our working methods are based on tradition and involve the use of farming systems such as the classical Guyot and cordon which best integrate with the type of soil. We believe in sustainable agriculture. We believe in an agricultural ethics: agriculture in continuous evolution but which does not forget its origins, healthy agriculture and agriculture rich in biodiversity that characterize Oltrepò Pavese All our wine working methods are based on the respect of our vineyards and always aimed at protecting the land and environment. Grapes Harvest The grape harvest takes place in baskets containing from 18 to 20 kg of grapes. The grapes are gently placed in perforated baskets in order to minimize the stress to which the berries are subjected. Thanks to this operations the berries preserve all the their characteristics. The baskets are then transported to the winery where the grapes are directly placed in the press or in the crushing-stemmer depending on how the vinification is made, respectively, in black or red. This working method allows us to have a greater control on fermentation. We are therefore able to obtain a wine that enhances all the typical flavors of every specific vineyard. Our Region of Oltrepò Pavese The wine region of Oltrepò Pavese is one of Italy’s best-kept secrets. Located about 80 kilometers (50 miles) south of Milan, coming here is seeing Italy far from hoards of tourists. There is much to explore by car or by bicycle with spectacular panoramic views and small winding roads: vineyards, castles, medieval villages and monasteries. The hills and mountains of Oltrepò Pavese make it ideal for grape cultivation. Winemaking is in the region’s blood: written documents have been found referring to winemaking here 40 years B.C.. Over the last 150 years, Oltrepò Pavese has become one of the largest wine-producing areas of Italy. It is the third Italian denomination per hectare in terms of production and the first national area when it comes to the production of Pinot Noir, with its reds, whites and rosés. Spumante is another of the area’s flagships.
