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Those in the Cantina del Nebbiolo, in Vezza d'Alba, all have roots in the past. In the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, the winds of innovation and development were blowing through the wine-growing hills of Piedmont, which brought enthusiasm and confidence in the future.
At a national level there was a movement that dreamed of creating an industry dedicated to wines of quality, of provenance and found in the Piedmont many individuals and strong supporters. Specifically in the hills of the Langhe and Roero where the lives of the people who live here have been tied to the vineyards and wine for ages.
Serious vine diseases came to this area long ago (starting in the mid 1800’s, first came Powdery Mildew, then Downy Mildew, and finally Phylloxera) which fueled the plan to devote increased attention to the quality of the wine and the proper management of the vineyards.
Even the clergy at that time was on the side of the winemakers and helped them to collectively find a way to realize the dreams that individually were not possible.
Thus it was that in 1901, thanks to the patient and proactive work of the parish priest of the time, Don Augusto Vigolungo, the first cooperative winery for the transformation of wine was established in Vezza d'Alba called "Cantina Sociale Cattolica Parrocchiale", which vinified and transformed the golden bunches of Favorita in white wine for Holy Mass.
It was a contribution to the growth of the area, where the vine was struggling to resist the pitfalls of disease and the alternative of fruit growing which offered its concrete solution to income problems.
Things continued with a bit of luck for a few years but because of with the two world wars the situation worsened: on the hills a lot of desolation was created as families and companies had been deprived of a lot of workforce and struggling to meet the needs of the crops.
Quality wine had little space in the autarchic politics of the time and this made the expectations of the people of these hills uncomfortable.
In the second half of the forties we started again: the reconstruction of consciences and countries had to be accompanied by the development of the economy.
Among the vineyards and other agricultural crops there was another danger: the depopulation of the countryside in favor of the cities and other economic sectors. What was already difficult to achieve in normal times had to be done quickly and well.
But, you know, it is in difficulties that great ideas germinate and find fertile ground.
Thus, in Vezza d’Alba, among the Roero hills, cooperation resumed strength: in 1959, 23 winemakers took over the project again, managing to give life to the Cantina del Nebbiolo. The common goal was to counter the excessive power of the historic wineries in the area which, by speculating on the value of the grapes, opposed the development of new farming realities, in order not to lose hegemony over the crops. Of the same opinion was Giovanni Battista Marchisio, historic president of the Cantina del Nebbiolo from 1986 to 2013, according to which "Cooperation is born and develops under the sign of desperation but it gives the best fruits when the common good is more important than the individual good."
Today, more than 60 years later, the Cantina del Nebbiolo is still there, located in good evidence right on the Alba-Turin road in Vezza d’Alba.
The members are 180 who cultivate and follow 340 hectares of vineyards scattered 80% on the Roero hills and 20% in other areas highly suited to fine viticulture such as those of Barbaresco and Barolo, Dolcetto and Moscato.
Even now, the associated winegrowers are the true architects of this winery's collegiate project and its success in terms of quality and image. Year after year, their commitment grows and renews itself: producing healthy and clean grapes and then recovering with wisdom and meticulousness the most inaccessible vineyards of the most prestigious areas, where the machines also struggle to arrive.
Today, the viticultural heritage led by the members of the Cantina del Nebbiolo is about 300 hectares of specialized vineyards where traditional Piedmontese vines prevail: Nebbiolo, Barbera, Dolcetto among the blacks, Arneis, Favorita, Nascetta and Moscato among the whites.
Thus was born a rich range of Langa and Roero wines, capable of accompanying the table from the beginning to the end of meals, with a rigorous quality / price ratio and particular attention to quality and pleasantness: modern and elegant white wines and great red wines of the territory, capable in any case of conquering the markets, in Italy as in the rest of the world.
The first harvest was carried out in 1960 and since that moment the path of the Cantina del Nebbiolo has never stopped.
CAMPAGNA FINANZIATA AI SENSI DEL REG. UE. N. 1308/2013
CAMPAIGN FINANCED ACCORDING TO EU REG. N. 1308/2013