Il Botolo
Our history, our values
A family-run winery
in the heart of the UNESCO Monferrato
Il Botolo is a family‑owned winery founded in 2007 by Roberto de Silva, who transformed his deep love for Monferrato—its history, its culture, and the endless movement of its rolling hills—into a dream: crafting wines of excellence from the finest Piedmontese grape varieties, Barbera, Moscato and Chardonnay.
Our 15 hectares stretch across the gentle UNESCO World Heritage hills of Monferrato, divided between the two beautiful estates of Tenuta Colombaro and Tenuta Le Coccole, located in the prestigious Bricco and Mantilera crus.
From Barbera d’Asti to Nizza, from Chardonnay to Moscato d’Asti, and from Metodo Classico to our Rosé 100% Barbera sparkling wine, every bottle reflects meticulous care, passion, and the generous contribution of nature. The vineyards grow on sun‑exposed slopes with an ideal orientation that ensures optimal ripening.
The stylistic signature of Il Botolo is defined by elegance, distinctive aromatic richness, and a fresh, contemporary drinkability.
We believe in the harmony between work and nature.
Our commitment to sustainable agriculture respects the environment and the territory, reflecting a broader vision of social responsibility and a desire to contribute to the well‑being of the community and landscape we call home.
Today, Diana de Silva, the founder’s wife, continues this mission with dedication, championing excellence, innovation, and a forward‑looking vision to craft truly iconic wines.
A World Heritage Treasure
With this motivation, in 2014 the vineyard landscape of Piedmont’s Langhe‑Roero and Monferrato was recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
The area includes a core zone of 29 municipalities and is divided into six components, among them “Nizza Monferrato and Barbera,” located in the Upper Monferrato area of Asti. This zone includes parts of Montegrosso, Mombercelli, Agliano Terme, Castelnuovo Calcea, Vinchio, Vaglio Serra and, of course, Nizza Monferrato, whose historic centre is itself a UNESCO‑listed core zone.
Here, in the 18 municipalities surrounding Nizza Monferrato—the true “capital of Barbera”—this grape variety, cultivated in Piedmont for over 500 years, finds ideal pedoclimatic conditions. These conditions led, in 2014, to the creation of a new DOCG: Nizza DOCG, an iconic wine that expresses the full potential of this extraordinary variety.
In this unique landscape, between the prestigious Bricco di Nizza and Mantilera crus, lies our Il Botolo Winery.
A Letter from the Founder
Roots in Monferrato
In my childhood readings, I was struck by the figure of Giovanni Spadalunga, Marquis of Monferrato, elected impartial leader of the Crusaders in the Holy Land.
I imagined him tall—huge, even—with a weapon like this, an undisputed peacemaker in any conflict that might erupt in the camp. He came from Monferrato, from our homeland, because that is where my grandfather was born. Although I never met him, I imagined him to be of the same stature as the marquis. Invincible as well, because he came from the same land.
As I grew up, I learned to understand Monferrato: an incredible land, shaped everywhere by the hard work of its people—made of iron, kneaded with soil and water, hardened by sun and wind—working in the vineyards to produce grapes. One row after another, for endless kilometres and hills, all by hand. And I imagined that one day, at my grandfather’s age, I would find myself here too: working the land and producing wine.
And that hope became reality: here I am, with a few aches and pains, working the land in search of grapes rich in sugars and extracts, from which to craft wines of the highest quality. This is how this small winery was born, where the vine is queen.
“The great wine is made in the vineyard,” as the wise say.
Roberto de Silva
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