Sfera Litro Oltrepò Pavese Rosso

Oltrepò Pavese is located in the Italian region of Lombardy, which is situated in the center of the top of Italy’s boot, with Switzerland to the north and the much more wine-famous Piedmont to the west. Lombardy is the largest and most populous region in Italy and and has one of Europe’s highest standards of living. With Milan close-by, the region has always been at the center of big business, whether it’s textiles (especially silk), banking, or mining…but there’s an impressive wealth of nature as well; the Padana plain extends across the bottom third of the region, usually fed by the Po River and its many tributaries that flow downstream from Alpine lakes. The lowlands produce bountiful rice for risotto and also boast one of the largest swaths of pastures in Italy. And of course from all the grazers upon those pastures comes a wild assortment of cheese, from the nutty and salty Grana-Padano (similar to Parmigiano-Reggiano) to the funky Robiola, to the pungent Gorgonzola, to the downright stinky but heavenly Tallegio. 2022 was the worst drought in almost a century, and the Po River essentially dried up. Of course that was followed by raging storms that created massive, deadly floods in September, so, you know, everything is fine.

Oltrepò Pavese is Lombardy’s largest viticultural area, and from 1741-1859 was administratively a part of Piedmont. The small size of the properties (1.8 ha per grower) and the significant role played by co-operatives has historically rewarded quantity over quality, but there are of course exceptions. One of the most interesting wines is the blended red Oltrepò Rosso, which is mainly Barbera, with Croatina added for spice and body, and Uva Rara added for sweet fruit and aromatics.

This is our second co-op wine in one club! SFERA is a collaboration of small, philosophically-aligned, organic growers who bottle their limited-run wines in super-fun, 1-liter crown-caps.

This edition is produced organically by the Odero family on their Frecciarossa estate. The Odero’s have been making wine in the area for a hundred years; the estate is now led by Valeria Radici Odero, granddaughter of the founders.

This liter is a blend of Uva Rara, Barbera, Croatina, Pinot Nero, and Riesling Renano co-fermented for eight days on the skins. No clarification or filtration. Bottled with 8 ppm SO2; 12% ABV. 

Put a slight chill on this versatile liter. Up front it’s all about cranberries, crisp red apple, and pink grapefruit. Dark, blackberry fruit brings it back down to an earthy, dry finish, with saline minerality, and brisk, mouthwatering acidity.