This is the second in a series of posts capturing my experiences visiting the family winemakers we represent.
Part 1: Villa Corniole – an introduction to the Pellegrini family and “heroic” viticulture
In Part 1 we explored the concept of “heroic” viticulture in Valle di Cembra, mountainous vineyards near Trento in the Dolomites. From Trento, we drove north and west into Lombardia, to the Valtellina region in the Italian Alps, near the Swiss border. Our destination: Casa Vinicola Pietro Nera, a storied producer now in its 3rd generation. Valtellina would expand our view of heroic viticulture and inject it with steroids.
The winery was founded by Guido Nera in 1940. His son, Pietro, would expand the winery and acquire vineyards in all the cru sites in Valtellina, including Sassella, Inferno, and Valgella. His sons, Stefano and Simone, would continue the development of the winery, and add a second brand, Caven, producing Nebbiolo wines of the Valtellina in a more modern style (more use of small new oak barrels) with more grape selection.
Sadly, Pietro (affectionately known as “Papa Pietro” by the family) died in early 2020. The family was very affected by his passing, but carry his legacy onward today.
When we arrived at the cantina, around mid morning, we were greeted by Francesco di Bernardo, my contact at the winery. Francesco and I built a relationship remotely, starting just before the pandemic in February 2020 with a planned visit to Nera; when this visit could not take place, Francesco and I continued to communicate with one another. We eventually arranged for samples to be shipped to me, and tasted together via Zoom. I was very interested in the wines of Valtellina, as they are off the beaten path Nebbiolo (same grape as Barolo and Barbaresco) wines. And I was intrigued by the Sforzato di Valtellina DOCG style, a Nebbiolo wine made similar to Amarone, where high quality grapes were selected and partially dried for 2-3 months prior to making an intense, rich but elegant wine.
When Francesco greeted me, it had been 16 months since we began communicating, and this was our first in-person meeting. He welcomed us and made us comfortable, and soon water and espresso made their way to our table in the cantina.
Soon after, Simone Nera entered the room and walked toward our table. I had seen pictures of Simone, and recognized him. What I wasn’t ready for was seeing his resemblance to his father, Pietro, who I had also seen in pictures. As he sat down with us and surveyed the room, I thought about how special Papa Pietro was to the family, and the grief they dealt with last year. I gathered enough Italian to tell Simone that I thought he looked like his father. A bond began to form, one that would epitomize my journey into wine importing.
We would begin our walk through the winery. Stefano Nera, Simone’s brother, joined us and led us through the winery. While Simone looks after commercial and business interests, Stefano is the winemaker. He is also a master at clone selection; for Nebbiolo, this is critical as the correct clone must be selected to suit the terroir, and there is much diversity of terroir in Valtellina.
We would also meet Angela, the sister of Simone and Stefano. Angela manages the accounting for the winery, and provides that angle for business decision making.
Stefano sampled Sforzato from the barrel, I believe from the 2018 vintage (the 2016 at this writing is the latest on the market). We tasted together. Stefano is a patient man, and refuses to release the vintage even a minute before he feels it is ready. Like a dish whose ingredients soften and add complexity after a day in the fridge, Sforzato’s characters also round out and the wine becomes more complex and elegant.
Next, we were off to the Inferno vineyard. I had read about the vineyard, and the story was the steepness of the slope with sun exposure that made for a workday of tending the vines that was comparable to “hell”. The Inferno vineyard was the essence of heroic viticulture. Vines cannot be mechanically tended or harvested. A fall would result in quite a tumble, if the person lived to tell the story. The sun bakes the mountainside, radiating enough heat in this northerly Alpine climate to allow for cactuses to grow in the terraced walls.
The sloped vineyards of the Inferno cru site; family names are often placed on signs. The radiant head is adequate for cactuses and palm trees to grow. Photo credits: Russ Lorber
Nebbiolo is a late ripening grape, and the lengthy growing season in Valtellina allows for more phenolic (tannin) ripening. In the ripening process, the grape puts on sugar and eventually drops acidity (the art of harvesting is selecting exactly the right time to balance acidity and sugar, which can be sensitive to a few hours). However, phenolic compounds in grapes that are responsible for mouthfeel (and tannin in red wines) must also ripen so the mouthfeel is not harsh. In Valtellina, Nebbiolo has a softer expression than the vice grip nature of Barolo; however, it also expresses the characteristic rose/aromatic quality with bright red fruit. It’s a softer introduction of Nebbiolo to a wine drinker; one that would help build a better appreciation for what makes wines of Barolo and the rest of Piemonte special.
The Valtellina valley encompasses the Adda river, which flows west to east. Cool winds blow from Lake Como in the west, through the valley. Geographically, the Sassella vineyards are westernmost and see the most impact of these cooling winds; the wines are crisper in their fruit character. Wines made from the Inferno vineyards, closer to the eastern side of the valley, have less of the cooling wind factor and more of the sun exposure; these wines have a more ripe fruit character, and are more intense.
It was a special experience to taste wines from the different cru sites with Simone and Francesco; we discussed these differences and experienced that difference that terroir can make. Sampling these wines while tasting regional cuisine of Valtellina was special. In Valtellina, the cuisine is heartier than other parts of Italy; more Alpine. Dishes like creamy risotto, and duck with polenta, are easily paired with the wines of Valtellina. Pizzocheri, the staple dish of the region, is a buckwheat noodle pasta served with potatoes, cabbage, and a special cheese of the region, topped with a sage butter.
Our experience with Simone, Stefano, and Angela was very special, and I appreciated the opportunity to get to know them better, and for them to meet the scruffy importer from Maryland who was buying their wine, especially the Nebbiolo Bianco–the rare white wine made from red Nebbiolo, but was turning into a hit in Maryland.
As we said good bye, I told Simone in Italian that I felt like I not only represented their wines in the US, but also their family. I probably sounded like a 3 year old Italian child with a cowboy accent. After switching to English, I also said that we would do our best to honor Pietro’s legacy. Simone in Italian told me that he felt like I was part of the family.
We are happy to be the face of the Nera family in Maryland and DC.