The Picchioni Andrea Winery is a small plot of land, approximately seven hectares, located in the Solinga valley. The vineyards grow on a south-exposed steep sloping hillside, on sandy and pebbled soil. The endless summer days bless the grapes with all the energy they need for a full ripening: the vine struggles in the light and the heat for every single drop of water.

Oltrepò Pavese is a triangle of land located in Lombardy and wedged between the Liguria, Emilia-Romagna and Piedmont regions, which forms the northern end of the Appennini mountains. Due to the region’s strategic location, in the past centuries it was crossed by people moving throughout the Padana plains and by pilgrims travelling to Rome. The ancient ‘Salt Roads’ also run through it.

Canneto Pavese is a small town, traditionally renowned for wine production, which until recently could boast the highest ratio of vineyards per total land area in Italy. During the XIX century, its full-bodied wines quickly gained a national reputation for their excellence and were also successfully exported worldwide, their preservation being ensured by their high alcoholic content. In the second half of the XX century, the increasing demand for low-cost wines led winemakers to abandon many of the best vineyards, whose care was difficult and expensive because of their position. So, great vineyards such as Monte Bruciato, Montuè and Solinga remained sadly ignored for years. Only recently, a host of young wine-growers, inspired by a true love for their land, brought them to life again.