Winemaker Notes
Giacosa Fratelli is located in Neive, just a few miles from Alba, in southern Piedmont. The winery was founded by Giuseppe Giacosa, who gave up the traditional work in the fields (his father was a sharecropper) to become a merchant, initially of grapes and later of wine.
After WWII, Giuseppe's son Leone expanded the business started by his father, devoting all his time to improving the vinification and aging techniques of Alba's typical wines: Barbera and Dolcetto. Those years of difficult and intense work laid the foundation for the future of the winery's activity.
In the 1990’s, Valerio’s son Maurizio and Renzo’s son Paolo took over the helm of the business and set their sights on increasing the vineyards owned in areas where the noblest wines of the Langhe region are produced. A fine family tradition, therefore, continued by Maurizio’s sons Alessandro and Mauro, and Paolo’s children Lorenzo and Anna.
Generation after generation, those at the helm of the business had two very clear reference points: naturalness and quality, leading principles at the basis of the company’s philosophy, found at every transformation stage of the grape, from the vineyard to the winecellar.
Even to this day, the Roero folklore lives on about witchcraft lurking behind its dramatic contours and obscure woods—but these stories only add to the region’s allure and charm. Actually today Roero winemakers are some of the most astute and motivated in Piedmont. While the white Arneis has attracted global attention for some time, now Roero Nebbiolo wines (elevated to the same DOCG status as Barolo and Barbaresco) are making a name for themselves. Keep an eye on any labeled with the vineyard, Valmaggiore, as Barolo producers have been investing here for years. If you’re looking for hidden gems, this is your region!
Yielding a dry and subtly scented wine, Arneis is the star white grape of Piedmont. Though the grape has been local to Roero since the 1400s, it didn’t experience real popularity until the 1980s when local demand for white wine exploded. Somm Secret—A few key Roero producers are also focusing on exploring the ageability of high quality Arneis. It is only grown outside of Piedmont to a very limited extent.