In 1831, the historian Bianchini describes how, each year, in Novara and in Milan, the families of the aristocracy used to open a bottle of wine from Ghemme on Christmas Eve and exchange Christmas greetings in front of the fire, where sweet-smelling herbs burned with the firewood (rose apple, juniper and laurel).
The Bono Wine-cellar
Ghemme Wine Cooperative
In the 19th century, many important wine-cellars were established by vineyard owners and producers, who won prestigious wine awards in Italy and abroad. Bottles of our local wine even circumnavigated the globe: wine was sent to Melbourne in Australia to see how well the wine would survive the journey. Local wine was sent to the Americas and, in the United States, Ghemme wine, in particular, was recommended as a “medicinal corroborant wine”.
Without a doubt, Ghemme can be regarded as the ‘wine of the Risorgimento’, as Giuseppe Garibaldi christened it when he passed through Romagnano on 20th May 1859. On 1st June 1859, 60 hectolitres of it were supplied to the French army. Two days later, in the epic Battle of Magenta, the French helped to undermine the Austrian military machine, opening the way for the liberation of Milan and of Lombardy.
A poster from 1859
The previous year, Cavour had greatly appreciated the gift of wine made to him by the Mayor of Romagnano: «…he took several bottles away with him; but commented to his distinguished host, in the presence of witnesses, that that wine was almost on a par with the wines of France». He had already confided to Senator Giacomo Giovannetti, :«it is a proven fact that the hills of Novara can compete with the hills of Burgundy; to triumph in the struggle, all they need is landowners who make wine diligently and rich, elegant drinkers to establish its reputation».
A print of the time celebrating the Unification of Lombardy and Piemonte depicts the clowns of the two regions: Meneghino embraces Gianduia under the tricolour (bearing the words “Viva l’Italia”) and says to him «Adess Gianduja podaremm andà a bev in sul post el vin de Ghemm» («Now, Gianduia, we can go and drink the wine of Ghemme in the place where it is made!»).
The architect Alessandro Antonelli
Even the famous architect from Ghemme, Alessandro Antonelli (1798-1888), has a connection with the local wine: he helped to improve the vine-training system, by altering the position of the poles supporting the branches.
