On a hillside near Reggio Emilia, where a walnut forest has stood for more than thirty years, brothers Giovanni and Alberto Masini make wine that takes Emilia's fizzy reputation and quietly raises the stakes. The estate's name, Ca' de Noci, means 'walnut farm.'
Backstory
Their father, Vittorio, a professor of agriculture, planted the first vines here in 1970, deliberately choosing native varieties that were already becoming rare. In 1993 Alberto, an architect, and Giovanni, an agronomist and oenologist, took over, converted fully to certified organic farming and began vinifying the family's own grapes rather than selling the fruit.
The Region
The estate lies in the hills of the Reggiano, in Emilia, northern Italy, a zone better known for easy sparkling reds. The Masinis treat it as terroir worth defending, championing local grapes and a sense of place over commercial convention.
Vineyards & Farming
Roughly five hectares of vines grow on rocky limestone soils along the Crostolo river. The dryness and poverty of the soil concentrate flavour and minerality. The brothers planted disappearing local varieties such as Spergola, Malbo Gentile and Montericco, alongside others including Malvasia, Moscato, Grasparossa, Sgavetta and Cabernet Sauvignon, all farmed organically without chemical pesticides or herbicides.
Winemaking
The wines typically undergo spontaneous fermentation with native yeasts and are bottled unfiltered, with additives, including sulfites, avoided. The result reflects the Masinis' standing as pioneers of the Italian natural wine movement, with biodiversity and ecological balance at the core.
The Wines
Their reputation rests on traditional and ancestral-method sparkling wines such as the Spergola-based Querciole and the field-blend Sottobosco, plus still whites like Kyathos del Poggio and reds such as Brine d'Aprile, all marked by tension, minerality and a distinctly Reggiano accent.
