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Maurizio Ferraro

#DuePazzi Rosso 2016

Price: $34.95
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Tasting notes

The ripasso-style refermentation on 2018 Barbera pomace gives this wine an unusual density for the grape — smoked pomegranate, dark cherry, and a streak of black rye bread on the finish. It drinks like nothing else from Monferrato: familiar in its acidity and structure, genuinely strange in its depth.

BodyFruitTanninAcidity
PomegranateBlack CherriesPlumEarth
  • Style: Dry, medium-to-full-bodied red; 100% Barbera; ripasso-style refermentation on 2018 pomace; organically grown near Montemagno, Monferrato, Piedmont; zero added sulfites
  • Grapes & Terroir: 100% Barbera; organic (ICEA certified); calcareous clay and marl soils; hillside vineyards around Montemagno, Monferrato, Piedmont
  • Winemaking: Hand-picked 2016 Barbera refermented on partially fermented 2018 Barbera pomace (ripasso-style); indigenous yeast only; no fining, no filtration, no added SO2, no additives
  • Serving: Serve at 60-64°F; 20-30 min decant recommended to open up the concentration
  • Pairing: Braised beef, lamb ragu, osso buco, tajarin pasta, porcini mushroom dishes, aged Castelmagno or Toma cheese
  • Similar To: For fans of Valpolicella Ripasso who want a zero-additive, natural-wine version from Piedmont

Maurizio Ferraro's #DuePazzi is 100% Barbera grown organically on the hills surrounding Montemagno in the Monferrato area of Piedmont. The name translates to "two crazy people" and the label is Maurizio's own wedding invitation card. The grapes were hand-picked in the 2016 vintage, and the wine was then refermented in 2018 in contact with partially fermented Barbera 2018 pomace — a technique analogous to the ripasso method used in Valpolicella, where a base wine is passed over grape skins from another fermentation to extract additional color, sugar, and structure.

Maurizio has farmed organically since the early 2000s and converted to fully natural winemaking in 2006. He is a member of the French organization S.A.I.N.S. (Sans Aucun Intrant Ni Sulfite), which requires producers to use zero additives of any kind. His vineyards are tended manually under protocols certified by ICEA, the EU-recognized organic certifying body. No chemicals or irrigation are used in the vineyard. In the cellar: only indigenous yeast fermentation, no temperature control, no fining, no filtration, and no added SO2.

Barbera is Monferrato's dominant red grape and is believed to be native to these exact hills. The refermentation on 2018 pomace gives this wine more depth, body, and extract than a standard Barbera vinification, pushing it beyond the grape's typically lighter register. Expect dark fruit concentration, sharper-than-usual acidity, and a rustic, smoky complexity that sets it apart from conventional Monferrato Barbera.

The high acidity and concentrated dark fruit make this a strong match for braised or slow-cooked red meats — beef stew, osso buco, or lamb ragu over tajarin pasta. It holds up well to aged Piedmontese cheeses like Castelmagno or Toma, and works with porcini-based dishes where the wine's earthy, smoky edge can lock in with the mushrooms.

Wine details

Dry/Sweet:, Dry
Wine Type:, Red Wine
Wine Style:, Medium Body
Grapes:, Barbera
Farming:, Organic
Vintage:, 2016
Alcohol:,
Country:, Italy
Region:, Piedmont
Appellation:, Monferrato
Bottle Size:, 750ml
Sugar Level:, Zero Added Sugar

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Producer profile

Maurizio Ferraro

Maurizio Ferraro's family winery traces its origins to 1819, when an ancestor traded a donkey for a small vineyard in Montemagno. In 1913, phylloxera forced most of the family to emigrate to America, leaving a teenage Pietro — Maurizio's grandfather — to manage the estate alone. The farm survived and continued operating through subsequent generations. Maurizio studied at the prestigious Alba Oenological Institute before taking over the property from his father Sergio in the late 1990s.

The estate covers 7.5 hectares of hillside vineyards around Montemagno, with individual crus matched to specific varieties: Grignolino in the Chiovende cru (east-facing, morning sun), Barbera in the San Giovanni cru (west-facing, afternoon sun), Barbera and Grignolino in the Robbiano cru, and Nebbiolo in the Arianna cru. Red varieties include Barbera, Ruchè, Nebbiolo, and Grignolino; whites include Timorasso and Chardonnay. Maurizio began transitioning to organic farming around 2000-2001 and received organic certification from ICEA. No chemicals or irrigation are used. He is also a member of S.A.I.N.S., the French organization for producers who use zero additives of any kind.

Since 2006, Maurizio has made all wines without added SO2, without fining or filtration, and using only indigenous yeasts. Fermentations proceed spontaneously with no temperature control. #DuePazzi uses a ripasso-adjacent technique: 2016 Barbera is refermented in 2018 in contact with partially fermented 2018 Barbera pomace, extracting additional color, extract, and complexity before bottling additive-free.

Wine region

Piedmont, Italy

Piedmont occupies the northwestern corner of Italy, bordered by the Alps to the north and west and the Apennines to the south. The region is broadly divided between the Langhe hills, associated with Nebbiolo-based wines like Barolo and Barbaresco, and the Monferrato, a larger and less internationally recognized zone stretching across the provinces of Asti and Alessandria. The Monferrato received UNESCO World Heritage designation in 2014. Its climate is continental: hot summers with low rainfall, cold winters, and good diurnal temperature variation in autumn. Soils vary from calcareous clay and marl near Alessandria to sandier, marine-sediment soils in parts of Asti — the clay-limestone sectors produce more structured wines, while sandy patches yield softer, more aromatic expressions.

Barbera is the dominant red grape of Monferrato and is believed to be native to these hills, with documented references in cathedral records dating to the 13th century and an official listing among Piedmontese varieties in 1798. The Barbera del Monferrato DOC was established in 1970 and its Superiore tier was elevated to DOCG in 2008. Monferrato Barbera tends to be more aromatic and somewhat less robust than its counterparts from Alba or Asti. Other red varieties grown in the zone include Grignolino, Ruchè, Freisa, and Dolcetto. The village of Montemagno, where Maurizio Ferraro's estate sits, falls within the Monferrato Astigiano, the Asti-province sector of the appellation.

Frequently asked question

We will process and ship your order in 2-3 business days, you will receive a shipping confirmation email with tracking as soon as the Carrier scans the shipping label.

Ground shipping time depends on location, here's a breakdown:

West Coast: 1-2 business days
Midwest: 3-4 business days
East Coast: 5 business days

Process time is not shipping time. Shipping time starts from the days successive to the day of shipping, after the order has been processed.

See here our shipping policy.

Signature on delivery is mandatory for wine deliveries. Please make sure someone is at the shipping address to sign for the package.

If applicable, please consider delivering the package to a business address to ensure someone is available to sign for the package.

We also have the option of delivering the package to a Carrier's store for pickup. Please reach out to us to coordinate.

Carrier will try to delivery a package up to three times before returning the package to us.

See here our shipping policy.

If you miss a delivery and a package gets returned to us we have two options:

1) Reship the package right away: due to the very high cost of shipping and returns, we must charge a re-shipping fee to be determined based on package size and shipping destination.

2) Consolidate the returned package with your next order: this option is free of charge and it's the most popular option.

See here our shipping policy.

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