LA TOSA
Vigolzone Piacenza, Italy
Stefano and Ferruccio Pizzamiglio bring passion but also a scholarly clarity to their vocation of growing vines and making wine. Both were supposed to follow their father into the medical profession in Milan, but instead they fell in love with the life of wine.
In the 1980’s they bought land in Vigolzone, their mother’s home town, and set out to realize their vision of terroir-driven wines. Ferruccio deals mainly with the administrative demands of the business, but lends a hand wherever needed. Stefano is in charge of the vineyards and the cellar. They were the first in Emilia-Romagna to introduce grassing of the rows, and minimal intervention. They are currently focused on zero sulfur and low sulfur wines. While their practices are mainly organic now, they see transitioning to 100% organic as a long-term goal.
Today the estate covers eighteen hectares in the forested Piacenza hills. The land is poor but rich in minerals, mainly iron and manganese. They grow eight grapes producing eight wines, each with its own particular character. The brothers and their wives also run an agriturismo and restaurant, as well as a wine museum and library.
Wines
La Tosa Colli Piacentini Valnure Frizzante ‘Terrafiaba’
La Tosa Colli Piacentini Valnure ‘Riodeltordo’
La Tosa Gutturnio Superiore ‘Terredellatosa’