This is Rivetto, Serralunga d'Alba - stunning views, amazing wine…
Two quotes from Enrico Rivetto - the winemaker and owner of Rivetto
We took out vineyards and replanted trees, planted more than a hundred fruit plants of ancient, resistant varieties, we sew old wheat seeds, we built a greenhouse and a vegetable garden managed with organic and biodynamic practices, we created an area for compost, we built an eco-vineyard, where the vineyard lives with small woodlands and rows of aromatic herbs, and we're working on a project to recover old wells and rain waters.
Here we have a century of history, of suffering, of blood, and at the same time beauty, innovation, foresight and intuition.
Organic and biodynamic practices are the means, not the result.
I don't know the map, but I know the direction: clear, well defined, precise.
I am Enrico Rivetto, and I'm here to bring my small world to a resurrection, with manic lucidity.
Vineyards remember, like our body, they carry the signs of the past and they tell the history of viticolture, the changes in climate, the life of different generations. Every pruning, every binding, the distance between one vine and the other, the complete picture of a row, of its headland, a curved bark: every detail brings us back to something that happened and left a mark.
Vineyards teach patience. They strive for balance and they reach it. For as much as we can do or not do, it's only a matter of time. I learnt an alternative way to work in the vineyard, with less chemical violence and closer to the plants.
My vineyards will tell about a change that started in 2012, when we started thinking and acting with an organic approach to the vineyard and the cellar (both officially certified in 2017). In 2017 the evolution went even further, with biodynamic practices applied to all cultivations we manage.
Answers to the questions of "YR" Enrico Rivetto
1 - I know that Piemonte is primarily red wine, so I'd love to know the history of creating your favorite white (yellow) wine.
Langhe area is vocated for red wines, you are right. Especially Nebbiolo grapes express at its best here for many reason connected to composition of soil, the climat and historical facts. But if we make a small research in antique manueals of Oenologie we discover that many grapes and wines are listed, some of them today are completely forgotten and some are living a sort of re-birth. See for example the book written by Lorenzo Fantini in mid 1800. One of this rare grape is Nascetta, an indigenous white vine variety that was disappearing after the World War II because irregular in production.I took the challenge to grow it because is indigenous and for its genetical characteristics could be the big white of the Langhe! As it can ages! We can consider it the alter-ego of Nebbiolo grapes!
2 - Do you prefer (it's important for you) the color of the wine?
Color is important according to the typicality: each wine has its own typical color and we have to respect it!
3 - What is your favorite wine (red or white)? And why?
My favorite is the RED WINE, our most natural wine, the one with as less human touch as possible. It represents the philosophy of my winery in this period of changes. It is 100% nebbiolo grapes vinified in terracotta jar.
This wine was born from the wish of Enrico Rivetto to rediscover an ancient way of vinification when blending different vintages was a necessity. Now the main purpose of crossing the time is the search for the balance. The results is a timeless wine. To underline the connection with the past and the healthy side of this wine we exsperimented the vinification in Terracotta and we minimalized the human contribution.
4 - List, if possible, a set (gift box) of four or six own wines (red and white), which, in your opinion, can be worthy of representing your farm. What is the difference between your Barolo and Barbera from Barolo and Barbera neighbors?
Langhe Nascetta, sparkling Kaskal classc method, Barbera d’Alba Zio Nando, Barolo del Comune di Serralunga and Barolo Briccolina and the nebbiolo aged in Terracotta jar. We got the BIO certification, we are in biodynamics conversion and we put different cultivation among our vineyards to help the vines to be stronger and to bring them to the selfregulation (as they do not receive any chemical help). Adding diversity in terms of life (plants, insects, batters) contribute to enrich the environment. If you think vineyard is a monoculture and monoculture is not good tor the environment, it makes it poor year by year. So we can say that my wines are good for the palate, healthy for the body and good for the environment!
Wine winery Rivetto
5 - What is your favorite restaurant in Serralunga d'Alba ? And what there, in your opinion, is the most delicious dish? And where, besides the winery, you can try your wine?
My favorite chef in Serralunga is my dad that every day still comes to the winery even if he is retired and he cooks lunch for us with local products and vegetables from our garden. Around the winery is plenty of restaurants, from Star Michelin ones to traditional Osteria ones to modern Restaurants and you can easily find our wines.
6 - Your choice for the "Yellow Road" white (yellow) wine, Nascetta?
100% Nascetta. A semi-aromatic grape native to Langa with excellent ageing potential. Historical texts liken it to the great wines of Rhein.
7- Is it accepted at winemakers to consume both red and white wine at the same time? Or is it considered a bad taste?
We are used to attend wine dinners where the wine producer talks about its wine an introduce the winery during the dinner and usually we present our most representative wines so…we pass from sparkling to white, from barbera to Barolo. No problem in switching from a sip to another.
8 - You can offer the most beautiful view (favorite point) on vineyards or the surrounding landscape.
9- What cultural event would you like to see at home: an exhibition, an opera, a ballet or something else? A fan of what kinds of art are you?
I don’t know if we can consider it an art but I like basketball. Watching in TV, at the stadium (also in USA when possible) and playing. Here a picture of my team of workers and players after the last harvest.
10- Your vineyards are located in fantastically beautiful places. Have you thought about building your own tourist route for your vineyards? Can you give a picture of the place from which this famous photo is made?
Yes we have our own tourist route in our vineyards!!! And one is called THE WAY OF NASCETTA!
This is our winery from the Castle, where the picture you sent me was taken.
11 - Which white wine producer (from Italy or another country) would you recommend for the "Yellow Road"?
Domanine Albert Hertz,
Roth,
Hebinger,
Mann,
Domanine Marcel Deiss
Sergey Evtuhov,author of the project
