Listen, touch, smell, see, taste: experience the wine of Bosco del Sasso

The Bosco del Sasso winery is nestled in the Oltrepò Pavese, a region blessed with ideal conditions for producing excellent wines. It’s a romantic landscape, filled with refreshing greenery as far as the eye can see, dotted with charming hilltop villages rich in history and culture. Add to that high-quality gastronomic products and a welcoming, industrious local community: here, tourists become cherished Guests, pampered at the table.

We are in the hamlet of Roncole in Canneto Pavese, just south of the Po River, in southern Lombardy, a few kilometers from Milan. This territory accounts for 60% of Lombardy’s wine production and is the third-largest Pinot Noir–producing area in the world. It’s here that Bosco del Sasso’s four hectares of vineyards lie—an enchanting farmhouse marked by a scenic row of cypress trees.

In the land of Buttafuoco and fine sparkling wines, the steep hills demand hard manual labor. The soil is sandy and clay-rich, with vineyards exposed to the southeast sun.
The local varietals—Croatina, Barbera, Uva Rara, and Ughetta Vespolina—authentically represent the region. Each carries a fascinating cultural history and a unique sensory profile, ready to be discovered through wine tastings.

We are truly in the heart of eastern Oltrepò Pavese, at elevations between 130 and 280 meters. Canneto Pavese is a small town of 1,300 inhabitants that, until the 1970s, was the most extensively planted wine-producing municipality in Italy, with 500 hectares of vineyards in just 5.8 square kilometers.

Manuela Centinaio is the sole administrator of the agricultural company, bringing with her a strong background in agri-food. After earning a master’s degree in Food Science and Technology, she spent years in the food & beverage industry, first as a quality manager for major companies, and now as a consultant.
Supporting her is oenologist Michele Zanardo, responsible for the entire winemaking process—from selecting the vines to harvesting, vinification, and bottling.

Emanuela shares:

“We chose to invest in this land because we believe in its potential—both in terms of wine production and natural beauty. It was love at first sight with Bosco del Sasso. The vineyards here feel like an embrace from Mother Earth, helping you disconnect from daily life and its hectic pace. That’s how we came up with our slogan, ‘Vineyard Experience,’ which expresses our goal of offering a sensory and emotional journey that engages all five senses—not just taste.”

Five Senses in a Glass: The Bosco del Sasso Experience

Bosco del Sasso’s mission is to elevate the wines of the Oltrepò by celebrating their territorial, historical, and ampelographic (the science of grapevines) roots—starting with the versatile Pinot Noir, followed by Croatina, Barbera, Ughetta di Canneto, and Uva Rara.

From this deep local connection comes a multi-sensory experience: guests are immersed in nature, surrounded by the area’s beauty, with a good glass of wine in hand.

Bosco del Sasso produces four wines: two reds and two sparkling.
The first is 19.09, a Martinotti-method sparkling wine made from 100% Pinot Noir, vinified as a white. It’s an extra dry, smooth, easy-to-drink wine suitable for any time of day. It offers freshness and elegance, while still being bold, structured, and persistent.

19.09 Spumante Extra Dry

Buttafuoco DOC takes its name from a popular legend. In the 1800s, a ship from the Austro-Hungarian navy was sailing between the Versa and Scuropasso streams, both tributaries of the Po, tasked with patrolling the region and countering the Sardinian fleet in the Oltrepò. According to legend, the mission failed because the sailors were seduced by the rich local red wine. The name of that ship? Buttafuoco—which later became the name of the now-iconic wine.

The Buttafuoco Rosso DOC is deep ruby red, harmonious, full-bodied, and enveloping—perfect with aged cheeses, meats, and game. It’s a blend of Croatina, Barbera, and Uva Rara, and its sleek black label features the winery’s logo: a triptych of a stone, a wineglass, and a cypress—symbols of Bosco del Sasso’s identity.

Buttafuoco Rosso DOC

The Historical Buttafuoco Rosso DOC stands out for its aging process. The grapes are vinified together in a single tank and aged for at least 12 months in oak barrels. Each bottle bears the consortium’s emblem, decorated with two ribbons symbolizing the local streams, along with the sailboat and the name Buttafuoco.

Buttafuoco storico Rosso DOC

Lastly, there’s Lunaria, a Traditional Method sparkling wine, another gem from the Oltrepò region. It spends about three years on the lees before release. Made from Pinot Noir—ideal for blanc de noirs—this sparkling wine is a much-celebrated new addition to the lineup.

Lunaria Spumante Metodo classico

This area is part of the Wine and Flavor Road of Oltrepò Pavese, which offers food and wine trails, as well as cultural experiences. Alongside wines, you’ll find local culinary specialties such as agnolotti, pepper risotto, grape must polenta, cotechino, coppa, Menconico’s formaggella, Varzi PDO salami, and sweet breadsticks. These are sensory itineraries, just as enogastronomic tourism is meant to be—engaging all five senses to the fullest.