Just across the Tanaro river from Verduno in Barolo, you’ll find the rolling hills and steeper valleys of Roero. And the aspect of those hills will usually tell you the predominant soil type. The softer the contours, the more likely that clay is the dominant feature; the steeper the slope, the likelier you are to find sand for the vines to grow in. ACCR, as we shall now call the estate has been in the family as a mixed farming business since the 1950s but has only been a wine specialist since the seventies when they got rid of the cattle and most other crops. That story reflects trends in post-war Italian farming.

Daniela Olivera’s parents bought the farm and she and her husband Gigi moved in and made the changes to form the wine estate we know now. It is not a monoculture of vines. There are hazelnuts and areas of woodland, meadows and fields. Winemaking here is simple and clean, with great attention to detail. For instance they’ve been splitting up the crus recently with the advent of Roero MGAs like in Barolo. So there are more wines, smaller quantities of each and a greater concentration on terroir. The top wine – in both altitude and quality is an exposed hilltop vineyard called Sant’Anna from 50 plus year old vines a few yards from the church where Daniela and Gigi got married. (CW 29/10/19)