Wine hills and Varzi salami
South of the Po river, in the triangle of Lombardy that pushes between Piedmont and Emilia, lies the Oltrepò Pavese, the land "beyond the Po" of the province of Pavia. It is a gentle landscape of vine-covered hills rising towards the Apennines, dotted with castles, villages and parish churches, and one of the largest wine-growing areas in Italy.
The Oltrepò produces a great variety of wines: the red Bonarda, often lightly sparkling, Buttafuoco and Sangue di Giuda, the latter sweet and fizzy, from the hills around Canneto Pavese and Broni; and above all Pinot Noir, grown here more than anywhere else in Italy, used for the classic method Oltrepò Pavese Metodo Classico sparkling wines. In the upper valley, the village of Varzi gives its name to one of the most famous Italian cured meats, the Salame di Varzi PDO, made with pure pork, garlic and red wine and aged in cellars. The Oltrepò is also known for its castles, such as Zavattarello, and the Malaspina castles along the old salt road towards Liguria.
Tip: the wineries offer tastings, often with salami and local cheeses; the Greenway Voghera-Varzi, a former railway converted into a cycle path, crosses the valley of the Staffora.
Where it is
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Where to stay near Canneto Pavese
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