Giovanni Rosso

In Barolo, you will often hear the name Giovanni Rosso. The heart of Piedmont is home to this winery, in Serralunga d'Alba. This family business dates back to the nineteenth century. From very local beginnings, selling grapes to wine producers, this winery is now world famous. The Barolo from Vigna Rionda, one of the most legendary and best vineyards in Piedmont, is a very rare and highly sought-after wine worldwide.

History

The vineyards of Serralunga d'Alba have been cultivated by the Rosso family since the 1890s. Like many local families, they sold their grapes to larger producers, but in the early 1980s, Giovanni Rosso decided to focus his energy on the vineyards. He began restructuring them to obtain the best possible fruit.
Since the early 2000s, Davide Rosso, Giovanni's son, has been running the estate. He is responsible for a new wave of developments on the estate. He knows his family's winemaking history and combines it with the viticulture and oenology experience he gained in France and the rest of the world. His vision is to stay close to the land and local values.

The vineyards

When it comes to what really excites Barolo lovers, it's the names of the vineyards. And Giovanni Rosso's vineyard names are impressive: Cerretta, La Serra, Broglio, Meriame, Sorano, Costa Bella, Lirano and Damiano. Most of Rosso's plots are located in Serralunga d'Alba, a municipality that has grown over the past decades to become perhaps the very best of the six Barolo-producing municipalities.

The terroir

Barolo's fame is not only due to the grapes, but also to the terroir. The soils in this part of Italy are a characteristic mix of clay and limestone, with the best combinations found in Serralunga d'Alba. The conditions in these vineyards could hardly be better for growing Nebbiolo.

The grapes used

This is the exclusive territory of Nebbiolo, and Giovanni Rosso makes almost exclusively Barolo from it. Nebbiolo is a difficult grape – it ripens slowly, has a thin skin and is picky about where it grows – but in exchange for everything it demands, you get a wine with amazingly beautiful tannins, flavour and longevity.

Compare Barolo with a local classic that might be on a wine list next to it. Barbera d'Alba; Dolcetto d'Alba - both are found here and are made with their respective indigenous varieties.

Winemaking

Tradition reigns supreme in the wine cellar, but with modern touches where it counts. Hand-picking the grapes followed by sorting them by quality is the first reliable step in making good wine. Tasting grapes during the harvest allows you to see how many different flavours there are in a single grape. Fermentation takes place in cement tanks with wild yeasts. The wines are aged in barriques.

Sicily

From Barolo to Etna: In 2016, the Giovanni Rosso family expanded their reach from Piedmont to Etna in Sicily. They now make wine from both volcanic soil and the Alps - two of Italy's most exciting wine landscapes.