The COVID-19 pandemic forced Federica Boffa to take charge of her family winery, Pio Cesare.Pio Cesare Winery
Federica Boffa was 23 years old when she took charge of her family winery, Pio Cesare, after the death of her father last year from COVID-19. While her résumé says she has officially worked at the Italian winery for five years, the business is part of her DNA.
She talks about growing up in the historic cellars, where the family has produced wines since the winery’s start in 1881. She shares stories of travelling and tasting extensively with her father, Pio Boffa, a charismatic ambassador so connected to the brand he was often identified as Pio Cesare, not by his own name. She explains how his passion and philosophy as he expanded the family’s vineyard holdings and wine portfolio continue to guide her vision.
“The family is involved in all aspects of the business. We take care of everything from the vineyards to the wine-making cellars to the financial aspects of selling wines around the world,” Boffa explained during a recent tasting in Oakville, Ont. She runs the company with her cousin, Cesare Benvenuto, who worked alongside her father for years.
When Pio Cesare began in 1881, it was one of only a handful of wineries operating in Langhe. Today, there are more than 600 producers of Barbaresco and Barolo including the Boffa family’s winery that continues to work out of the same building in Alba’s city centre, where the underground cellars have been constructed into walls built by the Romans shortly after Julius Caesar and his army crossed the Rubicon in Northern Italy. (Plans are in progress to build a new white-wine production area across the street next year.)
Today she finds herself in a role that her great, great grandfather Cesare Pio could relate to: visiting markets to introduce wines and check on sales.
He was a pioneer of the region, she explains, making dry red wines that he actively promoted outside of Alba, outside of the surrounding Piedmont region and outside of Italy. The family has his original passport in its archives. “His number was 55,” she says. “He was one of the first to start travelling not for pleasure, but for work.”
A sincere respect for traditional wine making in the region helps Boffa to plan. The core business revolves around the classic Barolo and Barbaresco labels, produced by blending nebbiolo grapes growing in different vineyards spread across the two appellations. Pio Cesare produces other traditional local wines, such as barbera and gavi, and have planted an obscure regional grape, timorasso, that has the potential to produce white wines that are as ageworthy as Barolo and Barbaresco.
(Two exciting styles of chardonnays are also produced each vintage. Pio Boffo was inspired to plant the grape variety in top vineyard sites after spending two harvests with Robert Mondavi in California.)
Collectors continue to snap up the limited release, single-vineyard Barolo and Barbarescos produced, including Barolo Ornato from Serralunga d’Alba, one of the most celebrated vineyard areas of the Barolo region. Boffa explains they could produce a lot more of these, more expensive wines, but that would come at the expense of the classic labels, which are Pio Cesare’s legacy. “This is our spirit of being an artisanal producer,” she explains. “We are very faithful to continuity, but also looking at the future.”
Collectors have been keen on the limited release, single-vineyard Barolo and Barbarescos produced, including Barolo Ornato from Serralunga d’Alba, from one of the most celebrated vineyard areas of the Barolo region.Pio Cesare Winery
Five noteworthy wines for the cellar
Far Niente Chardonnay Napa Valley 2020 (United States), $104
Far Niente is a historic name in the Napa Valley that has been crafting expressive chardonnay since 1979. The 2020 estate chardonnay is a rich and rewarding white wine. It delivers the house style, with citrus, melon and blossom notes accented by toasted oak aromas and flavours as part of well-integrated palate that’s rounded out by a refreshing finish. Drink now to 2030. Available at the above price in Ontario through vintagesshoponline.com, various prices in British Columbia.
Pio Cesare Barbaresco 2018 (Italy), $89
The first impression is remarkable: a lovely perfume of red fruit, floral and tobacco notes that jump out of the glass. The palate is appealing and approachable, with layers of flavour and serious structure.
Available in Ontario at the above price, $109.99 in British Columbia, various prices in Alberta, $78.75 in Quebec (2017 vintage).
Pio Cesare Barolo 2018 (Italy), $89
The classic label is a blend of nebbiolo grown in historic vineyards. This shows a complex balsamic aroma, with red fruit, herbal and floral notes. The palate reveals a core of pure, ripe red fruit with savoury complexity and the sinew and structure expected from a benchmark Barolo of this age. Drink now to 2030. Available in Ontario at the above price, various prices in Alberta, $92.99 in New Brunswick, $88.78 in Nova Scotia, $93.29 in Prince Edward Island.
Trefethen Cabernet Sauvignon 2018 (United States), $73
The Trefethen family helped to establish the Oak Knoll district of Napa Valley, a cooler pocket of the region that allows for a portfolio that includes crisp dry rieslings and chardonnays as well as complex red wines like this elegant cabernet sauvignon. This conveys classic cabernet character with an appealing mix of ripe fruit and savoury notes, supple texture, and a long, lingering aftertaste. Drink now to 2028. Available at the above price in Ontario through vintagesshoponline.com, various prices in Alberta, $71.25 in Quebec.
S By Ray Signorello Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2019 (United States), $103
This is the first vintage of a new cabernet from Ray Signorello, founder and proprietor of Signorello Estate who divides his time between Vancouver and Napa Valley. It’s also part of his rebuilding efforts to revive his Silverado Trail winery after the 2017 Atlas Peak/Napa wildfires that destroyed his home and production facility. Produced from organically grown cabernet, merlot and petit verdot, this is a richly layered and concentrated red with an attractive fragrance suggesting floral, tobacco and cedar alongside bright cherry and cassis notes. Drink now to 2029. Vegan friendly. Available at the above price in Ontario through vintagesshoponline.com, various prices in Alberta.
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Christopher Waters