About Gutturnio: The most famous wine of the Colli Piacentini, its name historically derived from the traditional gutturnium jug that people drank the wine from. It must be a blend of 55-70% Barbera, with Croatina filling out the remaining portions of the blend.
About the Region: The Colli Piacentini ("Hills of Piacenza") is an Italian wine region located at the western end of Emilia-Romagna. In 1967, it was given the Denominazione di origine controllata (DOC) quality designation. Within its boundaries are several smaller DOCs including Gutturnio DOC, Monterosso Val D'Arda DOC, and Ortrugo DOC. Many of the vineyards of the Colli Piacentini are planted on the rolling hills leading up to the northern slopes of the Apennine Mountains. The vineyard soils are composed of a mix of clay, marl, sand and sandstone from the Pliocene epoch. The region has a long history of winemaking with fossilized vine roots and grape seeds excavated from the region showing viticulture taking place as early as 2000 BC.
