Cascina Praié is set high in the rustic hills, overlooking the sea of western Liguria, halfway between Nice and Genova in Riviera Ligure di Ponente.  In the steep rock, grower/producer Massimo Viglietti produces the most memorable wines. Massimo sold the Cascina Praie to PEQ Agro in February 2020. Cousins Marco Luzzati + Giorgio Guastalla formed Peq Agri in 2019, a company they started together after years of success in their own business outside the world of wines. While they have always been in the food and beverage industry, this collaboration joins them more organically with wine. They are food purists who want to return to the past to find and cultivate new development models and enhance the territory to generate a better quality of life. Agricultural products and simple transformations are the engines of this project, in the belief that there is room to pursue and rediscover those values ​​that find less and less place in our world. They are whole thinkers- believing that every person, item, and thought in their circle of work matters. It is not just about one thing but all parts together.

Pigato and Vermentino, Liguria’s most famous grapes, are the backbone of this family-run winery. They also aim to revive several of the region’s oldest but less well-known varieties, such as Barbarossa, Granaccia, and Rossese, all of which have historical roots. The vineyards of Cascina Praié sit amid a splendid micro-climate. High hills facing the sea, kissed by the sun and tucked in with the cooling winds that blow down from the Alps and the northern Apennines, protect the area from humidity and result in the region's finest wines.

Cascina Paraié has 8 of the 12 hectares dedicated to vineyards, ranging from the youngest Cervo site, which has only recently begun producing, to the older Colla Micheri vineyards dating back to the 1970s. The winery is not officially certified for organic production, but its cultivation and vinification protocols are based on the most stringent natural production parameters. Several wines are fermented naturally with ambient yeasts, while others use primary, strictly non-GMO, cultured yeasts.

VINEYARDS:

Testico (Province of Savona) (Rossese, the Pigato, and the Vermentino) This vineyard is influenced by the characteristic of being a hilly area (400 m above sea level) and, therefore, a cool temperature even in summer.

Colla Micheri in Andora (Province of Savona) (Vermentino, Alicante, and Pigato) Their Colla Micheri vineyards are arranged in terraces supported by over 20 km of stone walls on very sloping land; the grapes are harvested entirely manually, an element that allows us great attention and cares towards our precious fruits. 500 m above sea level.

Cervo (Province of Imperia) (Rossese and Alicante) The Cervo vineyards enjoy a breathtaking sea view all year round. Exposure to the sun and brackish currents influence the very intense aroma. The choice of the territory on which to settle the vineyard does not allow mistakes: the soil, the exposure, its microclimate, and the surrounding environment "mark" inexorably the qualities of its wine.

A strong identity and a contemporary style are the key features of “Il Canneto” Pigato.  The special microclimate ensures high acidity and the soil adds flavor and minerality that combine well with Pigato’s characteristic aromatic with notes of spice and mustard seed and rich in texture. Honey, great acid- round and full. There was no mistaking this wine as anything other than pigato. 36-72 hours of skin contact, soft pressed. Half done in Austrian acacia barrels with some botanage, which give the wine a little creaminess and some great baking spice notes. 

Bouquet: ripe medlar, acacia flower, mandarin-orange and cedar, balsamic notes, resin
Palate: full-bodied, savoury, refreshing, balanced, in harmony with the bouquet
ALC: 13,5% vol. 

1,660 cases

They limit the yield to 40 q per hectare to ensure a high quality grape that, thanks to the microclimate, gives the wine an elegant savoury flavor with notes of Mediterranean maquis.

The fresh, round, salty nose of white herbs, zest, and crushed rocks is delightful. Fuller mouth, rolling silk with long, mouthwatering flavors and a good dose of acidity. Equally, hand harvested from south/southwest facing Colla Micheri, Andora (SV) vineyards, 150 meters above sea level; organic grapes de-stemmed vinified on-the-skins with maceration in a press for 12 hours.

Temperature-controlled fermentation, followed by racking, storage in steel with lees stirring, and no filtering until the wine is bottled. A small amount of must-wine from the same parcel is added before bottling, as a liqueur to give 2g/l of sugars.

Bouquet: Pippins, broom flowers, salt water, faint eucalyptus
Palate: Warm, savoury, refreshing
ALC: 13,5% vol.

1,660 cases

OK, this is fun! From the Cervo vineyards 220 meters above sea level. Violets dance with ripe stewed cherries and fruits with zippy, juicy tannins. Crisp ocean air freshness.  Hand-harvested in small boxes to preserve the soft, thin skins. Fermentation is started under the skin, then finishes without. Bottled after filtration, two months of bottle age. 

Bouquet: dog rose with spicy notes
Palate: full-bodied and mouth-coating, well-defined freshness, velvety tannins
400 cases

100% grenache from Andora and Cervo vineyards. A bigger deep berry Grenache made in a ripe and serious way. Hints of flowers and rind. Grippy velvets with long tannins, a perfect food wine.  

The previous owner, Massimo, planted eight different clones of Granaccia to achieve the best possible wine. They harvest at different times for this reason and the various heights of the vineyards. After de-stemming, the grapes are moved to a vat containing dry ice,  followed by mild carbonic maceration, three days of cold pre-fermentative maceration, then the temperature increases. The alcohol fermentation starts using natural yeasts, with the first racking after three to four days. The wine is moved to tonneaux of various kinds of wood to complete alcohol fermentation and ensuing malolactic fermentation, with a return to steel for aging, light filtering, and bottling.

400 bottles