Hello,
Yes, that's a halfpipe. In a wine cellar. In Barbaresco. Olek Bondonio was a professional snowboarder before returning to the 200-year-old family estate – right next to Angelo Gaja. He's one of four winemakers in this newsletter who are reimagining Piedmont.
Vietti: When Art Goes Into and Onto the Bottle
Every Vietti label is an original. Since 1974, the family has invited artists – painters, sculptors, even Pier Paolo Pasolini once. But Alfredo Currado was more than an art collector: he rescued Arneis from extinction when the variety had nearly disappeared. In 2025, Vietti was named Italian Winery of the Year.
Roero Arneis DOCG 2025
Arneis · Roero · ca. 20 €
Arneis means "little rascal" in Piedmontese – the variety was considered difficult and nearly went extinct. Alfredo Currado brought it back in 1967. The sandy soil here is ancient seabed, and you can taste it: saline-mineral, with a texture reminiscent of wet pebbles. With acciughe al verde or – surprisingly good – with sushi.
Langhe Nebbiolo Perbacco DOC 2022
Nebbiolo · Langhe · ca. 24 €
The grapes come from parcels in Barolo and Barbaresco – terroir for which others charge three times as much. 18 months' ageing, graphite and pencil lead on the nose. A Nebbiolo that tastes of something without needing to lie down for ten years. With brasato or ossobuco.
Valfaccenda: The Roero Collective
"Valle Faccenda" – so it appears on a map from 1749. Luca Faccenda and Carolina Roggero farm 3.5 hectares on sandy steep slopes, some parcels with vines from 1947. He studied oenology, she designs the labels. With the SoloRoero collective, they're fighting for recognition against the all-powerful neighbour Barolo. "Everything is already in the grape" – Luca's philosophy of minimal intervention.
bis-lacco vino bianco 2024
Arneis, Cortese · Roero · ca. 17 €
Not a fruit bomb, but a herbal wine. Camomile tea, chervil, wet pebbles. The description "almost meditative" sounds esoteric, but it's accurate. Deliberately kept lean. Surprisingly good with Vietnamese summer rolls.
Roero rosso DOCG 2022
Nebbiolo · Roero · ca. 30 €
Bottled during the waning moon – Valfaccenda takes this seriously. The wine itself is remarkably light-footed, almost balletic. Sour cherry, thyme, rosehip. Not a gram of fat. Nebbiolo for people who find Barolo too demanding. With porcini risotto.
Sottimano: Forty Days of Patience
Where others have long since pressed, Andrea Sottimano still waits. Forty days on the skins, malolactic fermentation happens when the cellar warms naturally in spring. Organic for over forty years, spontaneously fermented, unfiltered. Rino Sottimano planted the sites himself in the late 1960s – today many vines are 50-60 years old.
Pairolero Barbera d'Alba Superiore 2023
Barbera · Alba · ca. 23 €
25 days on the skins, spontaneously fermented – the wine positively vibrates. Espresso crema, mulberries, brilliant acidity. Sottimano shows here what Barbera can do when you don't force it into a mini-Barolo. With grilled lamb chops.
Cottá Barbaresco DOCG 2017
Nebbiolo · Barbaresco · ca. 65 €
The tannins are almost chewable – taut, but not harsh. Marjoram, vetiver, black tea. A Barbaresco that shows structure without posturing. Drinking well now, but will hold for another ten years. With roast venison or red cabbage, or cassoulet.
Olek Bondonio: From Snowboard to Barbaresco
A professional snowboarder returns to the 200-year-old family estate and makes Barbaresco next to Angelo Gaja. There's an actual skateboard halfpipe in the cellar – you saw it above. No website, no tasting room – instead he shares photos of kittens. Cascina La Berchialla sits atop the legendary Roncagliette cru. Biodynamic, uncompromising, sought-after.
Vino Rosso "The Drunk Fly"
Barbera · Langhe · ca. 26 €
An everyday wine from someone who also makes €70 Barbaresco. Pure Barbera, natural vinification. Red cherries, soft tannins, lively acidity. With pizza or grilled vegetables.
Barbaresco Roncagliette DOCG 2021
Nebbiolo · Barbaresco · ca. 71 €
50-year-old vines growing in Bondonio's front garden. Heavy clay on blue marl, two months' maceration. Rose petals, lavender, dried cherries. Fine-grained tannins. A wine that shows what happens when someone has time. With saddle of venison or Castelmagno.
What connects these wines: Nebbiolo that doesn't have to be heavy. Arneis that can do more than refresh. And winemakers who know when to intervene – and when not to.
Warm regards from Berlin,
David and the team at
Living Wines
P.S.: For Nebbiolo we recommend the Zalto Universal and the Zalto Dekanter Mystique – an hour of air makes all the difference with Barbaresco.
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