Gold over Monferrato

When the wine is allowed to wear its place

The 24th edition of the Concorso Enologico Internazionale Città del Vino took place in Pramaggiore, north-eastern Italy, on 29–31 May 2026. The competition is organised by the Associazione Nazionale Città del Vino and conducted with scientific support from the OIV, the International Organisation of Vine and Wine.

The competition's distinguishing feature is its broader view of a wine's value. Here the bottle is not judged as an isolated object, but as an expression of origin, producer, landscape and local community. It is an approach that suits Le Salere well, a wine whose identity is as geographical as it is sensory.

For La Corte, therefore, the medal is more than a diploma. It shines a light on Agliano Terme, on the most ambitious expression of the Barbera grape and on a producer that lets ecology be an integral part of the wine's soul – not a label on the side.

This year's edition was described as record-breaking, with around 1,400 products judged in the wine competition and the parallel Grappa Award combined. According to OIV rules, no more than 30 percent of the submitted wine samples may be included in the official results list – a restriction that makes every medal the result of a clear and demanding selection.

Nizza DOCG – Barbera's aristocratic address

Le Salere originates in Piedmont and bears the Nizza DOCG designation, one of the most prestigious addresses for Barbera. While Barbera in its broader form is often associated with freshness, fruit and immediate drinking pleasure, Nizza shows the grape's more concentrated side: deeper, more structured and with a pronounced ability to develop over time.

The designation is reserved for red wines made from Barbera within a delimited area in the province of Asti, of which Agliano Terme is one of the municipalities. DOCG is Italy's highest level in the protected wine designation system, and for Nizza the regulations include requirements on geographical origin, grape variety, yield and ageing.

At least 18 months' ageing is required, of which at least six months must be in wood. The time gives the wine the opportunity to deepen both texture and complexity – from Barbera's natural energy to a more collected, mature and gastronomic expression.

Ecology as craft – every harvest has its story

The fact that Le Salere was also awarded within Città del Bio adds an extra dimension to the success. The special class highlights organic wines and producers that work with clear responsibility in both cultivation and production.

For the conscious wine lover, this is more than a technical piece of information. It is a quality mark that unites origin, method and taste – and shows that the wine not only belongs in the organic category, but also reaches the level where sustainability and craftsmanship become part of the wine's elegance.

The family, the vineyards and the rhythm of the landscape

Behind La Corte stands the Sillano family. The current operation took shape in 2022, when Fabrizio Sillano, together with his wife Paola and daughters Alice and Giulia, took over a historic organic vineyard in Agliano Terme.

The family chose to continue the organic philosophy, but also to give it its own voice. Today La Corte works with vineyards in Agliano Terme, Castagnole Monferrato and Montemagno – three sites that together give the producer a nuanced register of soils, exposures and microclimates.

Work in the vineyards is characterised by presence rather than shortcuts. Much is done by hand, and the grass between the vine rows is allowed to remain for much of the summer. This protects the soil from heat, helps the ground retain coolness and creates habitat for insects and birds. In practice, ecology becomes not an abstract idea, but a visible craft – a daily care for the land that is also reflected in the glass.

Le Salere – dark fruit, spice and polished power

Le Salere Nizza DOCG 2022 is made from 100 percent Barbera. The grapes are hand-harvested and fermented in temperature-controlled steel tanks before the wine is aged for around 18 months in oak barrels. The result is a winemaking where the grape's natural freshness remains alive, while ageing gives shape, depth and quiet authority.

In the glass, the wine shows a dense ruby-red colour and an aromatic profile where red berries, ripe plums, amarena cherries and spices move towards a more nuanced and generous expression. The palate is full, soft and round, with a long finish and the fresh nerve that makes Barbera so natural at the table.

At the table – where the wine gets its full stage

Le Salere is a wine that seeks the company of food. Its structure, fruit and spiciness make it particularly suited to flavourful pasta dishes, slow-cooked stews, braises, red meat and hard or aged cheeses. Served at around 18–20 degrees, the wine shows both its fullness and its fresh Barbera nerve – with a balance that makes it generous without losing precision.

More than a medal

A medal can never replace the personal experience in the glass. Wine, in its most memorable form, is a meeting between taste, place, occasion and company. But an international award can provide guidance – especially when it comes from a competition where only a limited proportion of entries make it onto the official results list.

For La Corte, the gold means an opening towards a wider audience of wine enthusiasts, restaurants and retailers. At the same time, the recognition helps to highlight Agliano Terme, Nizza DOCG and organic wine production in Piedmont – three keys to a story where the integrity of place is as important as the expression of the wine.

Le Salere Nizza DOCG 2022 thus emerges as more than an award-winning wine. It is a wine with a clear address, born of Barbera, shaped by the Monferrato landscape and refined by a family that has chosen to work close to the earth. The gold at Città del Vino and Città del Bio does not become the end point of the story – but an elegant confirmation that origin, precision and conviction can still speak with quiet force.