Ercole, Monferatto Bianco 1L 2023

Producer: Ercole
Region: Piedmont, Italy 
Grape Varieties: Cortese, Chardonnay, and Sauvignon Blanc
Viticulture: Sustainable 
Category: White
Size: 750ml

Ercole is a line of everyday wines made possible by The Piedmont Guy, a hyper-focused importer based in the United States that represents family-owned wineries from the Italian region of Piedmont. Ercole, whose English translation is Hercules, is only made possible by a generations-old cooperative of local growers in the Monferrato area. Every fall, these men and women cultivate pristine and sustainably farmed fruit, allowing for the production of authentic wines that are transmitters of time and place. Small, independent cooperative wineries like this are not only the lifeblood of thousands of small growers across Italy but also repositories safeguarding the native grape varieties and winemaking traditions of their respective regions.

The cooperative behind Ercole works predominantly with old vines ranging from 30 to 50 years old. All participating growers adhere to the European Union rule for sustainable farming known as lotta integrata, or lutte raisonnée, though many are now certified organic. None of these growers use systemic treatments or chemicals, employing only minimal copper and sulfur. Both vinification and bottling are certified vegan.

The place, Monferrato, ranks among the most historic grape-growing areas of Piedmont and is the confirmed birthplace of the Barbera grape. For these reasons, we work primarily with Monferrato’s indigenous grape varieties. The fruit from this increasingly popular area gives us Ercole, a family of wines offering remarkable value.

Barbera was born in the northern Italian region of Piedmont, the same region famous for the Nebbiolo grape and the coveted Barolo and Barbaresco wines that grape produces. Many from this region refer to Barbera as “the people’s wine” because unlike Nebbiolo, which even when it’s not being used in Barolo and Barbaresco (named sites famous for their long-lived wines made from the grape Nebbiolo, often referred to as the ‘King and Queen’ of Italy) is still only saved for special occasions, Barbera is an every-day affordable stunner.