Wine: Sottimano, masters of the art of nebbiolo

Pinot noir's beguiling and seductive personality captivates wine lovers. The grape, however, has a strong rival.

Master of wine Jancis Robinson writes, "If pinot noir is the world's most tantalising grape, nebbiolo runs a close second - for very similar reasons." Both are thin-skinned varieties that produce ruby, translucent wines that are highly aromatic and perfumed. They are also delicate and capricious, difficult to grow and prone to disease. They are sensitive to their soil type, and the wines they produce often reflect the personality of the soil and terroir.

Andrea Sottimano is winemaker at the Sottimano winery in Italy's Piemonte region. Adept at multitasking, Sottimano also undertakes the job of marketing as he is the only family member who speaks English.

In terms of winemaking Sottimano says his approach to nebbiolo is traditional but he "steals something from Burgundy", a region in France known for its pinot noirs. His "almost biodynamic" viticultural methods are inspired by those of Burgundy winemakers. His role model is the legendary Bruno Giacosa, a producer whose wines he describes as the Domaine Romanée-Conti of Piemonte. Sottimano adopts both modern and traditional approaches to vinification, practicing risky winemaking with minimal intervention and no filtration or fining. Sulphur is added only at the bottling stage.