Ercole, Italian for Hercules, is a line of honest everyday Piedmontese wines created by The Piedmont Guy in collaboration with a long-established cooperative of small family growers in Monferrato. The name is a tribute to the collective muscle of those growers, whose pooled vineyards make the wines possible.
The Region
Monferrato is one of Piedmont's most historic winegrowing areas and the birthplace of Barbera. Its rolling hills of calcareous and sandy soils have long supplied the everyday wines of the region, and the cooperative behind Ercole draws on this deep tradition.
Vineyards & Farming
The fruit comes from sustainably farmed, predominantly old vines aged roughly 30 to 50 years rooted in calcareous-sandy soils. Growers follow the EU's lotta integrata (integrated farming) standards, with many certified organic, avoiding systemic chemicals and relying only on minimal copper and sulfur in the vineyard.
Winemaking
The wines are vinified and bottled vegan and presented in practical one-liter, screw-cap bottles built for the table rather than the cellar. The aim is well-made, affordable, low-intervention wine that drinks easily.
The Wines
The core range includes a Barbera del Monferrato, a light and bright red with cherry fruit; a Monferrato Bianco of roughly 90 percent Cortese with a touch of Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc; and a Piemonte Rosato of about 65 percent Barbera and 35 percent Dolcetto.
