Grandfather
Giuseppe Altare purchased the farm and winery in 1948, and our family
practiced the typical Piemontese mixed agriculture up until the
mid-1970s. Besides winegrapes, the family grew pears. apples,
hazelnuts, wheat, and corn. 1971 was the last year in which we worked
the land with oxen; after that we gradually acquired tractors and other
farm machinery.
Those were not
easy times, given the economic crisis that lasted for years. Elio,
along with other friends, decided to learn about winemaking beyond the
borders of Piemonte and try to grab some of the success that those
regions were enjoying. Their first trip to Burgundy, in January 1976,
was a revelation, and Elio began experimenting with methods outside of
the traditional ones in Piemonte
After a brief period working with his father Giovanni, Elio, at the age
of 26 years decided to change direction and to give a different
interpretation to the family's wine, favouring elegance, finesse, and
balance. He began a strict regimen in the vineyard and adopted new
vinification techniques in the cantina in order to highlight the grape
variety and the territory in which it was grown.
The winery at this point is a family operation, with the invaluable
help of Elio's wife, Lucia, and daughters Silvia and Elena. Together,
they continue Elio's tireless effort, experimentation, and research.
Today the family works 10 hectares, of which five are rented. They have
adopted techniques aimed at respecting nature. The principle objective
is that of limiting the use of chemical substances, both in the
vineyard and in the cellar. The wines are not subjected to filtering or
fining, so that they keep all of the material and character extracted
during maceration.
From Altare's Web page.
