Vineyards of Boca

Vineyards of Boca DOC: The Fire Wine and the Ancient Vineyard Landscape at the Gates of Lake Orta and Valsesia

Boca DOC is one of the most fascinating and unspoilt denominations of Upper Piedmont. Located at the mouth of Valsesia, in the province of Novara, this small denomination preserves a thousand-year-old wine heritage, shaped by geological events unique in the world and a peasant tradition that has its roots in the pre-Roman era.

For the food and wine traveler looking for authentic experiences, far from the beaten track, Boca offers a landscape of rare beauty: hills covered with vineyards that are intertwined with the woods of the Natural Park of Monte Fenera, a neoclassical sanctuary that dominates the valley and a red wine of great structure and longevity, historically known as the “wine of the Popes”.

A Unique Terroir: The Supervolcano of Valsesia

The extraordinary nature of Boca DOC lies primarily in its soil. About 280 million years ago, a huge volcanic explosion gave rise to the Valsesia Supervolcano, a geological event so rare and significant that the area is now recognized as a UNESCO Geopark. The volcanic rocks that dominate the hilly slopes – porphyry, tuffs and breaches – give the soils a natural acidity and a richness in minerals and metal ions that transfer directly to the grapes and, consequently, to the wines.

This pedological composition, unique in its kind in Central Europe, is the key to the organoleptic characteristics of Boca: strong mineral notes, tannic finesse and an extraordinary aging capacity. This is why Boca wines are sometimes called “Fire Wines”, as opposed to the “Ice Wines” of the nearby hills of Novara, born on moraine deposits.

The “alla Maggiorina” Cultivation: A Landscape To Be Safeguarded

In addition to the soil, what makes Boca a unique place is its historical wine-growing landscape, guardian of a technique of ancient breeding: the cultivation “to the major”. This system, centuries old, involves the planting of three or four very close vines in the center of a square of about four meters per side, with the branches extending towards the four cardinal points.

La majorina is not only a historical curiosity: it protects the vines from the weather, guarantees an optimal nutritional balance and allows a uniform maturation of the grapes. Curiously, his technical improvement is also due to the architect Alessandro Antonelli – famous for the Mole Antonelliana in Turin and the Dome of San Gaudenzio in Novara – originally from Maggiora, one of the municipalities of the production area.

Today the cultivation of the major is preserved thanks to enhancement projects promoted by the Club for the UNESCO Terre del Boca, which protects its wine biodiversity and landscape value.

The Boca DOC Wine: Characteristics and History

Boca DOC is a red wine for aging, produced according to a specification that provides a base of Nebbiolo (locally called Spanna) from 70% to 90%, supplemented by Vespolina and Uva Rara (Bonarda Novara) for the remaining 10-30%.

Its origins are very ancient: already in 1300 the Novara chronicler Pietro Azario called it “renorded since ancient times”, and numerous testimonies document supplies of Boca wine to the Spanish armies in transit from Piedmont to Lombardy. In the early twentieth century, Boca became known as the “wine of the Popes”, thanks to the appreciation of Pope Pius X and the Roman Curia.

Organoleptic characteristics:

Color: ruby red with garnet reflections

Perfume: characteristic, fine and ethereal

Taste: dry, savory, harmonious, rightly tannic

Mandatory ageing:

Boca: minimum 34 months, including 18 in wood

Boca Riserva: minimum 46 months, of which 24 in wood

What to visit in Boca: Beyond Wine

The trip to Boca does not end in the tasting. The territory offers ideas of historical, architectural and naturalistic interest that deserve a whole day.

The Sanctuary of the Crucifix is the building of greatest architectural interest of the hills of Novara. Designed by Alessandro Antonelli in neoclassical style and completed between 1822 and 1917, it is located in an isolated position among woods and vineyards. Its façade is dominated by an imposing porch, while the interior strikes for the 17-meter barrel vault supported by a single order of columns. It is still a destination for pilgrimages from all over Piedmont and a starting point for hiking trails.

The Natural Park of Monte Fenera offers the opportunity to combine the oenological interest with the naturalistic one. The Boca vineyards are mostly immersed in this park, where biodiversity and natural balance are reflected directly in the quality of the wines.
Events and Tastings: Il Boca da Vivere

The Boca calendar is animated by events that celebrate its winemaking tradition.

The Boca Wine Market Exhibition, now in its 52nd edition in 2025, is the most important event. For two weeks between May and June, the village hosts tastings, walks through the vineyards, meetings with producers and dinners with traditional local dishes. The initiative is promoted by the Club for UNESCO Terre del Boca, the Municipality and the Pro Loco.

In September, the Satembri Boca Fest transforms via Cesare Cobianchi into an open-air food and wine route. The event, included in the national circuit “Le Notti del Vino” promoted by the National Association of the City of Wine, includes tasting counters of Boca DOC and wines of the Novaresi Hills, a typical dinner based on polenta and tapulon, craft markets and live music.
Vineyards of Boca How to Get There

By car: from the A26 motorway, exit Romagnano Sesia, continue towards Romagnano-Prato Sesia-Maggiora. Boca is about 36 km from Malpensa Airport.

By train: the nearest railway station is Borgomanero, 7 km from Boca.

Boca is not a destination for those seeking mass tourism. It is a place for curious travelers, willing to travel secondary roads to discover a wine-growing landscape that preserves its rural soul intact and a wine that, as Pietro Azario wrote seven centuries ago, is “renowned since ancient times”.

Vineyards of Boca