La Colombera

A third-generation winegrower, Elisa Semino’s grandparents had been running a farm since 1937, tending chickpeas and alfalfa. Then, upon the birth of their son after World War II, the pair bought their first tractor and planted vineyards, eventually bottling their first wine as La Colombera in 1980. Almost two decades later, Elisa’s parents decided to increase plantings of the historic Timorasso variety—which produces textural, fleshy white wines—that had been abandoned locally in favour of easy-ripening, heavy-cropping varieties like Cortese and Gavi. This commitment proved fortuitous, establishing La Colombera as one of the most important growers in reviving the variety.

Today, the 22ha estate is largely managed by Elisa and her brother Lorenzo, with help from their father Piercarlo and mother Luisa. The family bottle a range of Timorasso (including a Derthona), Barbera, Cortese, and a Croatina—another obscure Italian variety. Readers should pay most attention to the Timorasso, which is fruity, precise, fresh, and fleshy with strong universal appeal,