The connoisseurs of high quality Piedmontese wines from the Langhe hills know these two words: bric and sorì. However, the visitor who is not a great specialist in the best wines from Piemonte, the two words bric and sorì followed by a proper name (for example sorì Paitin or bric del Fiasc) always arouse some doubts and perplexity. These are words from the Piedmontese language that identify a portion of the hill recognized since immemorial time as suited to wines of the most excellent quality. It is generally a portion of a hilly area characterized by a particular exposure to the sun and a certain altitude.
Peasants, in the past, always used the word sorì – literally “sunny” – to indicate those portions of the vineyard that had the optimal exposure to the sun (in general South-West). Different is bric (in Italian, “bricco”) which is the rounded top of the highest hills. The altimetry and exposure certainly guarantees grapes of high quality and perfect ripeness, even if in the past the cultivation was often not very productive, due to the mainly arid soils.
Legislation concerning D.o.c. wines and D.o.c.g. allows the use of these toponyms on wine labels. For example:
Barbaresco D.o.c.g. “sorì Tildin”
Barbera d’Asti D.o.c.g. “Bricco dell’Uccellone”
Barolo D.o.c.g. “bricco Boschis”
Moscato d’Asti D.o.c.g. “sorì Gramella”
Marco Negro
