CANAVESE

Caluso lies on the southern front of the Ivrea Morainic Amphitheater, a system of hills of glacial origin. The hilly soils, loose and rich in skeleton, are particularly suitable for vine cultivation, especially in the most favorable and warmest exposures. Extensive areas of coppice-conducted deciduous forest are present in the other areas. The plain to the south is intensively cultivated with cereals and fodder. It benefits from the irrigation waters carried by a canal built in the mid-16th century which derives water from the Orco stream in Castellamonte.

The town is of pre-Roman origin. Raised above the surrounding plain and protected by the hill, it has a favorable climate, with less wind and fog than the surrounding area. Due to its strategic position for the control of the territory, the village has always been hotly disputed, especially between the Marquis of Monferrato and the Counts of Savoy, and its history is rich and eventful, as evidenced by buildings that have survived historical events, such as the Rocca or "Castellazzo", the mighty medieval walls and the gate to the east or "Purtasse".

 

 

ERBALUCE

Erbaluce is a white grape variety native to Piedmont, originally from the Canavese area. The name probably comes from the color of its grapes, which are golden and bright when ripe. Legend instead claims that the name comes from the goddess Albaluce, who was born on a hill in Caluso and from whose tears fell to the ground  the Erbaluce vine originated. In Roman times it was known as "Alba Lux"(meaning dawn light) precisely because of the brightness of its grapes.

 

Erbaluce is a very ductile and versatile vine. In fact, thanks to the marked sweetness of its berries, the acidity of the juice and the robustness of the skin, it can be transformed into different types of wine, from dry wines to sparkling wines and sweet and dried wines. Erbaluce is generally grown with the Canavese pergola system as it is a very vigorous vine, which requires particularly rich pruning.

Wines produced purely from the Erbaluce grape variety were among the first in Italy to get the Erbaluce di Caluso DOC quality label in 1967. Despite containing the name of our town, these are produced in about 20 municipalities of the Ivrea Morainic Amphitheater. Since 2010, with a modification of the specification to further enhance their quality level, the wines have obtained the DOCG label. From the same grape variety, always in purity but in a wider territory, they also produce the Canavese white DOC wine.

​