German
Lorenzo Vercellino grew up surrounded by viticulture and spent his childhood working and playing in the vineyards around his parents’ home. In 2020, he decided to revive his family’s winemaking tradition and founded Tenute Vercellino. The winery is located in Alto Piemonte at the foot of the Alps in the far north of Italy. The rustic, small-plot region known as Coste della Sesia is a scenic gem. With its high-Alpine character, it lies closer to Switzerland than to Barolo. That is precisely what makes the region so appealing, as the soils and climate are actually quite different from those of Piedmont’s main wine-growing regions. In Alto Piemonte, the soils are light and very well-drained; the majority is sand, supplemented by limestone and weathered volcanic rock depending on the location. The sandy soils are essential here, because the clouds that usually pass over Barolo without dropping a single drop of rain get caught on the Alps and provide the winemakers in the north with the water they need.
Via Eroi D'Africa 38
13855 Valdengo, Italy
Phone +39 333 475 8483
Winery Size 2 ha
The vineyards near Vercellino are always bordered by woods and are in some places so steep that they have been terraced. In addition to small plots planted by his grandfather and father, the majority of the vineyard consists of young vines that Lorenzo has been planting since 2020. Nebbiolo naturally makes up the bulk of the vineyard, but other indigenous varieties such as Vespolina, Uva Rara, and Croatina have also been planted. The vineyards are managed without the use of chemicals, and the goal is to obtain certification in the long term. Lorenzo is self-taught and is currently bringing together an exciting blend of tradition and innovation in the cellar. He produces juicy and straightforward wines that are true to the region, with a robust character and plenty of freshness. They are full of energy, lighter in alcohol, yet still powerful and concentrated. The grapes are left on the mash for a relatively short time—14 to 24 days—yet enough structure and tannins are extracted. Aging takes place exclusively in neutral containers; depending on the wine, these are stainless steel, concrete, or large wooden barrels. His dream, however, is quite clear: he would prefer to age everything in large barrels from Stockinger.
The lineup is pleasantly straightforward and currently consists of three wines. The Ferruccio is the light-footed entry-level wine, made mostly from Nebbiolo from the youngest vines. With a short maceration period, it is bottled in stainless steel after just one year. Coste Della Sesia is a blend, also featuring a high proportion of Nebbiolo along with other indigenous grape varieties, and is aged for two years in concrete tanks. The single-varietal Nebbiolo comes from his grandfather’s vines and undergoes just under four weeks of maceration before being transferred to a wooden barrel for nearly three years. In 2022, it was still aged in a used tonneau; starting in 2023, this wine will be aged in a large Stockinger barrel. Lorenzo crafts authentic wines from a wonderful region that is set to become increasingly important in the coming years!