Lina Rigo and Andrea Ferratini became farmers despite city origins. At Cascina Bandiera they work with the limits of a rugged mountain landscape rather than pushing it towards maximum yields. They restored an isolated, hard-to-reach property and developed farming suited to its surroundings.
Experimentation encouraged diverse crops grown together and sheltered by native hedges, which provide habitat for beneficial wildlife. Alongside grapes they grow old apple varieties, hazelnuts, medicinal herbs, vegetables and fragrant Tortona strawberries.
Only their own grapes are vinified. Ground cover protects steep soils from erosion, green manure improves fertility, and shallow, limited cultivation preserves soil life. Copper and sulphur are used sparingly, without synthetic pesticides, alongside natural support measures.
Hand harvesting allows careful selection even in difficult years. Indigenous yeasts and low yields of around 2.5–3 tonnes per hectare underpin the wines. They mature on fine lees for as long as needed, with racking only before bottling, guided by weather and lunar phases, without fining or filtration.
The estate reports cultivation certified by the agricultural certification body Codex since the couple’s arrival. Their principle is to work within the landscape rather than remake it.
Cascina Bandiera shares the vision of Evoluzione Naturale. Come and discover their stories and wines.
Contact details
Cascina Bandiera
Località Cascina Bandiera
15056 San Sebastiano Curone (AL)
Tel.: +39 0131 786650 / 02 654787 / 349 3587754
Email: cascinabandiera@libero.it / rigo.lina@libero.it
