Established just after the Second World War, the estate now has 23 hectares of hazel groves, stretching across a single parcel of land next to the farmhouse, ensuring regular and uniform production.
The estate is run by Marco with his wife Barbara and their two sons, Andrea and Alberto, who have enthusiastically taken up the challenge of projecting tradition towards the future, focusing on quality and innovation.
For over sixty years, Cuor di Nocciola delle Langhe has been uniting experience and passion to fully enhance the heritage closed inside this remarkable little fruit. Every stage of cultivation and processing of the hazelnut is carried out using traditional methods, to offer consumers a genuine product with a superior taste.
Its characteristics and excellence mean that it is particularly well-suited to use by the confectionery industry, crowning it as undisputed queen of Piedmont’s most refined patisserie.
It stands out from other varieties due to its particular fragrance, its deliciously persistent scent and flavour after roasting, and its complex aromatic profile. It also offers a good yield when shelled, is easy to peel and suitable for long storage, besides having a very high nutrition and energy value. These qualitative characteristics have earned it an important title: it is the first Piedmontese product to have been awarded the exclusive PGI mark (Protected Geographic Indication).
The extraordinary sensorial qualities of the Tonda Gentile delle Langhe Hazelnut are praised in numerous medical reports on their health-giving properties. Recent studies have proven that the regular consumption of hazelnuts is associated with a significant reduction in the risk of heart disease and diabetes. Thanks to a rich content of monounsaturated fatty acids, phytosterols and mineral salts, it possesses antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties, found particularly in raw hazelnuts that have neither been roast nor deprived of their perisperm.
Set on the summit of a small hill and nestling against the banks of the River Belbo, it rises 555 metres above sea level and is laid out around the medieval castle.
The area’s particular physical and climatic conditions, and the characteristics of its soil, together with skilful and respectful cultivation techniques, make this corner of Piedmont the perfect place for the production of hazelnuts with superior sensorial qualities. The altitude, calcareous-clay soil and climate mitigated by sea breezes that blow up from the Ligurian Apennines have a positive influence on the cultivation of the Tonda Gentile delle Langhe variety.
Believing in its potential, Marco Robaldo worked hard to promote and enhance the Cravanzana hazelnut during his 15 years as mayor of the town.
It unites the producers of the Alta Valle Belbo and is regulated by production rules that guarantee the respect of strict quality standards. The project aims to achieve recognition of a “Cru for hazelnuts”, i.e.: a restricted area to which this fruit owes its absolute excellence.
The Robaldo family is proud to have promoted the project and is an active member of its board of directors.
Via Luigi Einaudi, 2 – 12050 Cravanzana (CN), Italy