The Azienda Agricola Briola, since the early 1800s, is dedicated to the production of durum wheat and to the cultivation of Aglianico del Vulture, a wine grape native to this area which has been present since the seventh century BCE.
Our family has always made a living in agriculture: from our grandfather Gerardo, our great grandfather Nicola, and his father Francesco before him.
These days
the four of us siblings have taken the reins of the family business from our
father Nicola, wanting to let the world taste the local products our family has
always cultivated (respecting the identity of the local terrain), to offer
authentic, genuine products.
BASILICATA
Our family
has lived in Forenza for centuries. Forenza is a small town near the Appenine
Mountains of Basilicata. Situated at the north of the region, Forenza is
perched upon a hill 850 meters (2800 feet) above sea level near the Apuglian
plain. Forenza was among the early sentinels of the Lucani people (who
pre-dated the Ancient Romans) before eventually becoming part of the Roman
Empire. From here one can see the Adriatic Sea, the Gargano Promontory,
and the Gulf of Manfredonia. Forenza is quilted with wheat cultivated valleys,
forested land, interwoven with olive groves, vineyards, and orchards. When the
heat arriving from Apulia meets the cool air of the Forenza forests, the
resulting wind ripens our crops, and the rain created ensures their abundance.
Our wheat production is mostly marked by the
cultivation of durum wheat. We use the best varieties currently available on
the market.
To respect
our soil and for the sustainable use of organic resources, we use the annual
rotation technique of cultivation.
To make our
pasta, we use semola flour produced using only our wheat. We want to know
exactly what we are eating (being sure there are no chemical residuals, etc.),
especially considering we eat pasta every day.
Currently we
produce a limited quantity to satisfy our clients’ requests.
WINE
We cultivate exclusively Aglianico del Vulture according to
DOCG (Denominazione di Origine Controllata e Garantita) norms. This is a governmental seal of
approval stating that the origin of the product is from a determined origin,
controlled and guaranteed by the government.
Aglianico
del Vulture is considered among the five best red wines in Italy.
In our
vineyard the plants are cultivated to obtain a production that favors quality
over quantity.
The wine
obtained from our grapes, 100% pure Aglianico del Vulture, is sold at least one
year after production Aglianico del Vulture, in fact, because of its unique
robust and full-bodied characteristics, needs time to be fully appreciated.
Agriculture, or at least that which is done well, takes time and patience. Our willingness to wait allows us to consider and experiment with new ideas that we hope will transform into concrete results.
Soon we will launch new offerings of different pasta shapes. Read more in Future Project.
We are also ready to bottle! Read more in Future Project