Elio Grasso

Unconventional and respected: The wines of Elio Grasso

Elio Grasso's family vineyards are located in a prestigious area that was included in the list of the best vineyards by the great historian Lorenzo Fantini at the beginning of the last millennium, and Elio Grasso's mission is to preserve and enhance the special characteristics of the vineyards. In the early 1980s, he decided to return to his origins as a winegrower in order to fully concentrate on continuing the tradition and work of his predecessors.

The first logical consequence of this was the decision to vinify and bottle the grapes of the vines separately from 1978 onwards. The family philosophy of the small steps was implemented with successive replantations with Nebbiolo, Barbera and Dolcetto. At present, no more than 70,000 bottles are produced on average. This quantity still justifies the name family business, which carefully supervises the individual phases and steps, from the work in the vineyard to the work in the cellar.

In the meantime, the vines are on average 20 years old and produce the best Piedmont has to offer. The Gambero Rosso, Italy's most renowned wine guide, regularly awards the wines of Elio Grasso his "glasses" and Vinum has named Elios "Gavarini Chiniera" the best Barolo of the 2003 vintage.