The Rovero family

Piedmont, Italy

Piedmont is located in northwestern Italy and is a world-famous producer of high-quality wines. Barolo and Barbaresco made from Nebbiolo grapes are famous, but Barbera, which is grown throughout Piedmont, is a variety that produces wines with a particularly rich acidity and fruitiness. The cool climate influenced by the Alps gives the wines a sour taste and complex flavor.

The Rovero family's domain and vineyards

The Rovero family domaine, which produces wines that combine power and sophistication, is located in San Marzanotto, a small town of 1,000 people in the Asti province of Piedmont in northern Italy (about a 20-minute drive from the town of Asti).

The property covers about 20 hectares, of which 16 hectares are vineyards. They also grow other vegetables and fruit, practice beekeeping, and operate an agritourism facility as well as a reservation-only restaurant that is registered with the Slow Food Association.

The restaurant serves local cuisine using organically grown vegetables and fruits, and the brewery has solar panels on its roof to provide all of the electricity it needs on-site.

Organic history: Since 1985 (certified in 1987)

The Rovero family has been a wine farmer since at least 1880, but in 1985 they converted to organic farming, obtaining certification from AIAB (an Italian certification body) in order to "live and work in a place free of synthetic chemicals and to save and protect our beautiful land."

Currently, the central figure at the Domaine is Enrico, who is also the father of triplets, but it was Enrico's father Michelino and his brothers Claudio and Franco who made the switch to organic farming and brought it closer to what it is today. The Rovero family are very straightforward and serious, and they say, "If we want to continue living on this lush land, we need to go back to farming with fewer chemicals. We need to make sure that not only people who live in the countryside, but also people who come to the countryside understand this."

In addition to wine, the Rovero family's Domaine also produces all of its grappa, which is distilled from grape pomace, and brandy, which is distilled from white wine, all organically. There are only 120 distillery facilities in Italy, and the Rovero family's is one of them, making it quite rare to have an organic distillery.

The family also runs a farm stay and restaurant (with the help of Enrico's wife, mother, aunt, and cousins), and they grow the vegetables, fruits, and honey used there, all of which are certified organic.

• White grapes: Riesling Italico, Cortese, Sauvignon Blanc, Moscato
• Black grapes: Barbera, Grignorigno, Brackett, Pinot Noir, Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Nebbiolo

Field soil

The soil is clay-limestone, but has a 30 degree slope, allowing for good drainage. The vineyards that produce the Domaine Rovero's finest wine, Louvée, are located about 3km away, and the soil there is sandy, giving the wine a more delicate aroma.

The Piedmont region is influenced by the Alps and has a cool climate in the winter, but the area where the Rovero family lives has a Mediterranean climate, with temperatures rising to 35°C in the summer and plenty of sunshine during the growing season, fruiting season and late summer. Rain is frequent, but not very much overall, totalling just 600-700mm per year.

Characteristics of cultivation methods, etc.

• The grass is cut only under the trees, leaving it in the furrows. Flower seeds are sown in the furrows. As the roots of the plants spread, air is absorbed into the soil, and the microorganisms become more active.
  
• Tailored using the Guyot method
• The entire harvest is done by hand, starting in September and taking 4-5 weeks to slowly and carefully monitor the condition of the grapes. Normally, it is difficult to harvest carefully like this due to manpower issues, but here, everyone in the Domaine (family) does it, which makes it possible.

Characteristics of brewing method

[About grape maceration]

• For light red wines such as Grignolino, it takes about 3 to 4 days.
• Barbera: about 7 days
• Loweve is longer, about 20 days.

[About the use of barrels]

• All of the barrels are French, using both Bordeaux and Burgundy barrels to bring out the complexity.
• New barrels are used for white wine (Sauvignon Blanc)
• Barrels once used for white wine are used for red wine (Louvre and Nebbiolo)
• Barrels used for 7-8 years to hold red wine are used for grappa and brandy.

[About the Rovero family's grappa]

• After maceration at the Rovero House, the pomace is used.
• 99% of grappas in the world are colorless and transparent, and are not aged in barrels. However, the Rovero family's grappas are extremely rare, as they are aged in barrels that have previously contained high-quality red wines such as Louve.
• Mono-varietal grappa is rare and one of the Rovero family's specialties.

We think that Barbera is a great choice. I make four types of wine, from simple to very complex. Each one is really important to me. Not all grapes are suitable for low-quality wines, and different wines are required, and there are different appropriate occasions. Above all, I think it's important to consider the type of grapes that were produced that year and the connections that start from there.

I'm not interested in deciding on a "certain type of wine" and solidifying it. I really enjoy facing nature in any year, whether it's a year that produces a Grand Vin or a year that doesn't produce a very strong wine due to the weather conditions. Winemaking is not just a job, it's something I really love. I enjoy experimenting and trying different things, and I really enjoy doing my best at each moment.