My Philosophy

Wine is becoming more uniform the world over, as producers plant the same grapes, employ the same technologies, the same additives, the same barrels for aging and especially use the same wine makers. My aim is to make a distinctive wine which expresses its vineyard site, the grape varieties used and in particular, my own ideas about how it should be made.

To accomplish this, I developed my vineyards with the target of choosing the selections most suitable for expressing the personality of the vine in each site, planted on non-vigorous rootstocks. I directed for 6 years the Viticultural Experimentation Center for the Piedmont Region. This experience has allowed me to work in close contact with the research world and to make optimum use of the results obtained in recent years.

In fact, in our vineyards situated in the Barolo area I have planted new selections of Nebbiolo which have produced very interesting results.
In any case, I don’t believe in the use of a single “superclone” but rather of “families of clones” to represent the various nuances of the cultivar, always considering the vineyard site and the desired characteristics of the finished wine.
My preferred rootstock is known as 420A. I like it for its low vigour, which permits the fruit a longer maturation period on the plant and later harvest times.

In the Bra estate, situated in the Roero area, precisely on an hill which can be seen from the town of Bra, I developed instead an innovative philosophy linked to new varietals that can, together with the traditional ones, bring out the best from this marine-sandy soil.

Moreover, beyond the choice of plant materials, I have developed particular cultivation techniques for every phase of the vine’s vegetative cycle, and my own style of soil management. New pruning systems, quick and careful attention to canopy management, and severe green harvests are examples of the way I “guide” our vineyards.

In the winery, I vinify our grapes without the aid of too much technology. I don’t have roto-fermenters, must concentrators, reverse osmosis filters, micro-oxygenators and similar amenities.
Nor do I have a big name external consultant. I want, if you will, to make my own mistakes.