Italian winemaker tackles climate change and bureaucracy head on at family-run vineyard in Piedmont
- Alberto, the young oenologist behind Italy’s 600-year-old Cordero di Montezemolo winery, talks about the challenges facing winemakers today
Alberto Cordero di Montezemolo is the face of a family-run winery in Piedmont, Italy, that traces its roots back to the 14th century. He says vineyard ownership in Italy can be highly fragmented because, in the 19th century, couples often had eight or nine children and plots became increasingly subdivided by inheritance. The Cordero family, however, kept their vineyards intact.
Their 51-hectare estate is located in La Morra and grape varieties planted include arneis, dolcetto, chardonnay, barbera and nebbiolo.
Born in 1981, Cordero runs the business with his father, Giovanni, and sister, Elena, and says he “makes wine with a passion”.
“It is wrong to approach wines from a perspective of traditional versus modern style,” he says, adding that he instead strives to make them “as pure as possible”.
One challenge that Cordero can’t avoid is climate change. However, the oenologist says, “It is not happening so fast that we need to change varieties” by replanting the vineyards. Instead, they have changed viticultural methods to retain a similar wine style. For example, in the past, as much sunlight as possible was required, to ripen the grapes. Now, canopy management techniques are needed to protect the grapes from sunburn.
Another challenge that irks Cordero is bureaucracy in the industry.
“Making wine is fairly straightforward,” he says. “But if you want to do something different you are blocked by rules.”
Cordero di Montezemolo Arneis 2017, Langhe, HK$198
