Erpacrife is a project founded by four friends – Erik, Paolo, Cristian and Federico – who studied together at the oenological school of Alba and the name unites their first syllables. Their aim was to create fine sparkling wines from grapes that were totally different to those traditionally used. The project began with Nebbiolo and has since expanded to include an incredible and very rare metodo classico Moscato.

Selected Nebbiolo from a high altitude site in Madonna di Como (just outside the Barbaresco zone) is harvested by hand and stored at zero degrees for twenty days before a brief maceration on skins to impart a strawberry pink hue. Following a soft pressing, the wine is aged in oak for three months followed by a twenty four month in-the-bottle secondary fermentation. There is no dosage, preserving the power and structure so typical of great Nebbiolo. About 400 cases are produced each vintage.