Thanks to its mild climate and to the special exposure of its terraced land, Monteossolano, a pretty little village in the municipality of Domodossola, was a land of vine cultivation in past centuries. Vineyards at a low altitude in the plain and valleys of the Ossola have formed unmistakable landscapes, which are now partly hidden by the vegetation that has started to flourish here again. In some areas, following brave interventions by a few farmers, the ancient terraces are once again being used to grow popular local grapes.
The little village of Monteossolano still contains a wooden press that dates back to 1700. According to scholars, it was exclusively used to press grapes.
Its lever, which consists of two oak beams and two larch beams added more recently, is over seven metres long. The press is made up of four beams and the machine is self-supporting with a hanging tank exclusively used for wine production. You can still see many accessories in the wine press, such as the hatchets for cutting the marcs after pressing and a small wooden shovel for removing it. Following a complete restoration, the old Monteossolano press has been put back into operation after decades of inactivity and can be visited via coin-operated automated access.
This unusual site allows you to take an authentic dive into the past of a trade that is being promoted once again in Ossola Valley thanks to small-scale, high-quality producers.
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