Forteto della Luja is as much a nature reserve as a winery. Since 2007 its hillsides have been an affiliated WWF oasis, where wild orchids and diverse fauna share the slopes with the vines that surround the Rio Luja.
Backstory
The property was first registered as a farm in 1826, with some buildings dating to the 18th century, and it has been in the Scaglione family for eight generations. Until 1985 the grapes were largely sold to local vintners. That year, encouraged by the celebrated producer Giacomo Bologna and reviving the customs of a great-grandfather, the family began drying Moscato grapes to make the Moscato Passito, which went on to win prestigious awards. The estate is run today by Giovanni Scaglione with Cristina Scaglione.
The Region
The estate lies in Loazzolo, in the hills of Piedmont. Loazzolo is Italy's smallest DOC, and the family also works in the Asti and Monferrato denominations within the Canelli zone, a landscape of steep, wooded hills well suited to aromatic Moscato.
Vineyards and Farming
The name Forteto della Luja comes from the woodlands, traversed by the Rio Luja, that wrap around the vineyards. As a WWF-affiliated oasis the estate practices biodynamic and organic farming, prioritizing biodiversity, with orchids and wildlife thriving among the rows.
The Wines
The flagship remains the sweet Loazzolo Moscato passito, made from raisined grapes. Alongside it the family produces dry Piedmontese wines including a Barbera d'Asti, expressing the same nature-first farming in a savory register.
