Water & Soil

Whoever brews in Biella has the Alps at their back, and with them streams fed by snow and rock. Menabrea advertises pure water from the Biella Alps; that's the brewery's own claim, though it gives no figures for hardness. Soft water is nothing unusual in mountain regions, however, and it suits a lean, pale lager well.

Why does brewing water shape flavor in the first place? Dissolved minerals such as calcium or sulfate affect how bitter a beer tastes and how round its body feels. Very mineral-poor water lets malt and hops stand out clearly, while hard water emphasizes bitterness. Brewers today often correct this with salts, but the starting point remains the source.

In the Langhe, the landscape looks different: gentle vine-covered hills on marl, a mix of limestone and clay that gives the wines their structure. This soil is why beer and grape meet so well there. The must that later flows into the beer comes from the very same slopes as the region's great red wines.

In autumn, fog settles over the hills. The Italian word for it, nebbia, is often cited as the namesake of the Nebbiolo grape. For aging, climate matters less than the cellar: Menabrea describes caves in the mountain that stay cool year-round, letting a lager mature undisturbed.

Today, of course, brewing relies on modern refrigeration. But the idea that rock, water, and cool air together make a beer runs deep in the region's self-image.