It is believed that the Barba family originates from Naples. The abbot Francesco Barba, canonical Napolitano, was a tax collector for the Pope during the reign of Sisto IV (1471-1484).
Another important ancestor was Carlo Barba who lived around 1700. In 1750 he was registered as the owner of an interesting amount of real estate in S. Margherita di Atri, on the plains of the towns of Casoli and Fontanelle.
During the following years, their descendants have dedicated themselves to the development of the property with determination.
At the end of the 50's, Luigi Barba who had received a prestigious recognition as "Cavaliere del Lavoro" , ended the old share-cropping relationships and began for first to directly manage the business; he bought state-of-the-art equipment anticipating the times and starting the path for the latest generation.
Today the agricultural firm Fratelli Barba, together with the S.I.A.I. which has been operating with success for 60 years in the field of production of bricks, make up the core businesses of the Barba family.
The firm
The firm is situated in the north part of Abruzzo, in central Italy, along the valley of the Vomano River and on the surrounding hills, in the towns of Cellino Attanasio, Atri, Pineto and Roseto.
It extends on about 680 hectares, of which 170 are planted with vines, fruit trees, and trees for lumber, and about 500 are used for animal raising and industrial business.
The family
The property belongs to the Barba family, which is made up of the three brothers Vincenzo, Giovanni, and Domenico Barba and their families.
Giovanni, who has a degree in agriculture, is the chief executive officer and works full time, with his assistants, in all sectors of the business.
Domenico, who has a degree in economics, is chief executive officer of S.I.A.I. S.r.l., which is an important firm in the field of brick production.
Vincenzo, electronic engineer, mainly occupies himself with consultancy and organization of information systems, but also works in all fields of the family business.
Heritage
The land has a deep heritage in the wine sector and benefits from an adapt microclimate with long sunny days and cool evenings in the summer and sea breezes in the winter; these conditions are favourable for wine production, nurtured by passion and great know-how.
Barba wines don't depend on luck, but are the result of attention to detail during every phase of production, from the vine to the winery.
It is just this combination of simple principles and good ideas which defines our unique style, always in search of quality.
The Vines
The Barba family has 68 hectares in the best spots of the area: Colle Morino, Casal Thaulero, Vignafranca, which all fall within the areas which have obtained D.O.C. for Montepulciano and Trebbiano d'Abruzzo and D.O.C.G. Colline Teramane. The vines are the starting point of high quality production.
All the old vines dating back to the 60's have been replaced starting from 1993: the old "tendone" vines which were once used in Abruzzo to obtain high quantities, have been substituted with modern "espaliers" vines: the Montepulciano and Trebbiano wines derive from careful observation of the best vines selected during the last forty years of management.
The number of stubs, which varies from 4.000 to 6.500 per hectare, permits the reduction of the quantity of grapes produced by each vine and therefore obtain a better quality and a perfect ripeness of the grapes.
The Land
The hilly coastal Abruzzo area is characterized by prehistoric deposits which have filled the basin around the Adriatic during a marine sedimentary cycle which took place between the end of the Tertiary and the beginning of Quaternary. In the Vomano valley, these clayey hills, have created a wavy landscape with wide backs which are almost flat, with rounded slopes, but often interrupted by calanques, steep eroded slopes.
In most cases land which originates in this way presents an equal division of material from which forms land with a sandy - clayey structure, generally soft or of medium texture, with varying thickness depending on the inclination and exposition. The water retained is average to low, with low or modest amounts of nutritive elements and humus.
The Harvest
From the end of September until the second week of October, the Montepulciano and
Trebbiano grapes are ripe and ready for picking. The harvest is the result of the hard work done during the year in the vines.The pruning done at the end of winter, the plucking of leaves and successive thinning out of the grapes done 30 days before harvest, give us a product in line with our expectations and goals, but only the best grapes picked will be used for wine production.
The Area and the Climate
The Abruzzo region is usually described as a region of beaches, lakes and mountains. The most attentive visitor, however, would appreciate the beautiful hills in this area, which are situated between the mountains and the coast and on which it's easy to find vineyards and olive trees. In the Teramo area over 40% of the land is covered by mountains. Going towards the coast, the Apennine Mountains become hills running between large valleys.
The climate of the area is influenced by the altitude and by the geographical position of the hills and valleys. The climate is mild in the area along the Adriatic Sea, with an average temperature of 12-16°C during the year, with good rain, lots of sun, and mild winds.
The hills along the Vomano valley have a particularly favourable climate, thanks to the fact that the Adriatic Sea is so near, which keeps the temperature mild during the winter.