No protocols, little technology but just a lot of knowledge and a great passion. Antonio Perrino is a particular producer of wine: the di lui is still pressed on foot as was done in past centuries. Just over two hectares a Dolceacqua, a small town in Ponente Ligure, in the province of Imperia, and a small cellar (7 barrels for all the production) sum up the Testalonga company. The bottled wine is the result of 60 harvests, all carried out with the same passion and vision. For some years his niece Erica has been accompanying him in his work in the countryside and in the production of two representative labels of the territory: the Rossese and Vermentino.
It was 1961 when Antonio, known as "Nino", decided to devote himself to grapes and wine. And after sixty years things have remained almost unchanged: he takes care of his vines exclusively by hand, treatments only with powdered sulfur, spontaneous fermentations without temperature control and before bottling he "parks" the wines in old barrels for about a year from 500 litres.
Nino learned the art of wine from his father, who passed away only 6 years after his arrival in the company, while his mother Mariuccia worked until the ripe old age of 90. Even today the grapes are harvested by hand and pressed with the feet, there is no chemistry in any part of the processing and no treatment in the cellar, only decanting. Nino's vision hasn't changed much in the last 60 years: wine must be natural, a child of nature.
So, the only ingredient is time. The "Rossese di Dolceacqua” must mature for about a year in oak tonneaux. Over 2 bottles are produced every year, of which 70% end up abroad, such as the United States, Canada, Japan and Korea. It is a red wine, vinified from local grapes included in the Rossese di Dolceacqua or Dolceacqua DOC denomination, characterized by the right sugar and alcohol content and with good fixed acidity, which enhances its aromas and keeps them over time.
Vermentino is called “Testalonga White“, the different color from the canonical one has not allowed any denomination even if the grape is 100% Vermentino. This is because it is produced with a vinification that involves maceration on the skins for about 5 days and refinement in oak barrels. The result is a cloudier wine than the classic one, almost tending towards orange with a scent of the sea, aromatic herbs and citrus notes. On the palate it is fresh, savory, but soft, fruity and even a little rustic. The cellar produces about 2500 bottles of “Bianco Testalonga” wine.
