Collection: Chieri: Balbiano

Balbiano: Reviving Royalty: Villa della Regina Urban Vineyard

Founded in 1941 in the village of Andezeno, Cantine Balbiano stands as a pillar of Piedmontese viticulture, renowned for its dedication to the indigenous Freisa grape and its role in reviving Turin’s royal winemaking legacy. For over 80 years, the Balbiano family, beginning with founder Melchiorre Balbiano, a former grape broker and farm manager, has championed the wines of the Collina Torinese (Turin Hills), blending tradition with innovation across three generations.

Balbiano’s identity is inextricably linked to Freisa di Chieri DOC, a historic variety sharing 75% of its DNA with Nebbiolo and documented in Piedmont since 1517. The estate pioneered this grape’s transformation:

Innovative Styles: From sweet postwar expressions, Balbiano evolved Freisa into dry, sparkling (frizzante), and aged versions. Their Surpreisa ("Surprise") cuvée (a dry, still Freisa) defied convention with red-fruit vibrancy and herbal complexity.

Vineyard Mastery: Sourced from 40–50-year-old vines in marl, clay, and limestone soils, wines like Freisa di Chieri DOC Frizzante undergo Charmat method fermentation, balancing freshness and structure.

A chemistry graduate, Franco modernized the winery, replacing wood/concrete tanks with temperature-controlled stainless steel and expanding exports to the U.S. As longtime President of the Freisa di Chieri Consortium, he collaborated with the University of Turin to refine the grape’s potential.

In 1996, Franco Balbiano (Melchiorre’s son) accepted a landmark challenge: replanting the 17th-century urban vineyard at Turin’s UNESCO-listed Villa della Regina, bombed in WWII and abandoned for 50 years. Partnering with ampelographers, Balbiano re-established 1 hectare of Freisa vines in 2003, yielding the inaugural 2009 vintage .

He also secured DOC status for Freisa di Chieri Vigna Villa della Regina in 2011: a very rare sample of DOC wine from an urban vineyard. This limestone-soil wine, aged in tonneaux and concrete, embodies elegance with notes of violet and wild cherry .

Franco’s son Luca, now at the helm, champions sustainability (organic practices, renewable energy) and founded the Urban Vineyards Association (2019) to protect historical vineyards globally.

Balbiano：皇室遺產葡萄園的復興大計

1941年創立於 Andezeno 村莊的 Balbiano 酒莊，歷經三代家族經營，從創始人 Melchiorre Balbiano 到現任莊主 Luca Balbiano，酒莊以復興都靈皇室釀酒傳統與守護本土紅葡萄 Freisa 為使命。

紅葡萄 Freisa 是酒莊的靈魂，這種與 Nebbiolo 共享75%基因的古老品種，自1517年見載於當地史冊。二代莊主 Franco Balbiano 於 1973年引入溫控不銹鋼槽取代木槽，推動 Freisa 產區協會與都靈大學合作研究，以革命性手法重塑葡萄風貌：

Freisa 葡萄為 40-50年老藤，扎根於泥灰岩、黏土與石灰岩土壤，從戰後甜型酒轉型為乾身、微氣泡（frizzante）與陳年款。代表作 Surpreisa（解作驚喜）以紅果活力與迷迭香氣息顛覆傳統紅酒。

1996年，二代莊主 Franco Balbiano 接下歷史性任務：復育二戰遭轟炸荒廢半世紀的都靈皇后別墅（Villa della Regina）的17世紀葡萄園。Franco 攜手葡萄品種學家，於2003年重植1公頃 Freisa，並於2009年迎來首個年份；更於 2011 年獲 DOC 認證，成為全意大利極少數源自城市葡萄園的 DOC 酒款。別墅現為聯合國教科文組織世界遺產。

酒莊現在由 Franco 的兒子 Luca 主理，他推行有機農法與再生能源，2019年創立「城市葡萄園協會」，守護帶歷史文人風貌的古老葡萄園。