Gianfranco Alessandria

On tiny plots in San Giovanni, nestled among some of Monforte d'Alba’s best-known Crus, Gianfranco Alessandria and his family craft classic Barolo, Barbera, and Dolcetto. Their boutique winery is family-run through and through, as it has been since Gianfranco’s father started growing grapes in the 1940s. After his passing in 1986, Gianfranco took over the family’s four hectares in Monforte d’Alba and worked to reducing his yields, encouraging better ripening and healthier, higher-quality grapes. He didn’t sell any wine in his first few years, but at the urging of his cousin Mauro Veglio, he began bottling some in the late 80s. He eventually released his first Barolo in 1993, immediately earning critical acclaim. The quartet of Gianfranco, his wife Bruna, and his enterprising daughters Marta and Vittoria handle everything from vinification to bottling. They currently own six hectare and rent 1.3 more, which they farm as organically as possible, using minimal amounts of sulfur and copper out of respect for the environment. In the cellar, they employ short macerations in temperature-controlled tanks and age their wines primarily in neutral oak.