VIETTI
The Vietti winery is owned by the Currado and Cordero families.
Alfredo Currado married Luciana Vietti and took over the
operation of this small, simple enterprise. The property owned few vineyards at the
time, yet Alfredo was amongst the first to bottle a number of wines as "single
vineyard" offerings. Today, nearly every producer in the Langhe has some single
vineyard or "cru designated" bottlings.
The Currado's living room is jammed with spectacular art work. Back in the 1970s
Alfredo came upon the idea of an artist series (okay, perhaps Mouton Rothschild has been
doing artist labels longer), but only for monumental vintages and the best wine of that
harvest.
Many of the Vietti labels are designed by artist Gianni Gallo. Others have
commissioned Gallo to draw designs for their labels and you'll see his work not only on
wine bottles from Piemonte, but other products as well.
Alfredo has
always said he's a traditionalist winemaker. Despite this notion, the winery was an
early proponent of stainless steel, temperature-controlled tanks. They've jumped on
the bandwagon for using French oak barrels, though Alfredo declined to have his picture
taken in a cellar full of this new-fangled cooperage!
Winemaker Luca Currado.
Lots of French oak cooperage...Barbera wines are especially good here, thanks (in part) to
French oak.
An early vintage of Vietti.
Barolo and Barbaresco are still matured in the time-honored, traditional cooperage.
Tasting barrel samples of a new vintage.
Old Bottles in the Vietti Museum.
A good bottle of Vietti on the Currado dinner table.
Alfredo is not only a capable winemaker, but he makes a mighty good pasta sauce, too.
"Vietti Pasta-Eating Machine"
CATerina Cordero.
A dynamite serving of Fegato Grasso (Foie Gras) with some Dolcetto.
More good food from the Vietti kitchen.
Alfredo opened a bottle of 1969 Barbaresco. This turned out to be an amazingly fine
bottle of wine, despite being from a vintage which was thought to be sub-par!
The Forever Young Nonna Pierina (she's in her 90s and still amazingly youthful....could it
be the Vietti wines?) with Francesco Cordero.
A SAD NOTE: NONNA DIED IN 2003, nearly 100 years old!
We will miss her very much.
Flying winemaker Luca Currado is seen behind them.
PHOTOS TAKEN IN 2005
A window from the winery overlooking some Barolo vineyards.
Alfredo Currado.
Carlo Perini of The Crazy Milanese.
Alfredo kindly opened a 1982 Barolo Riserva Villero, a magnificent bottle of
wine.
No one was sad by this treat.
A DINNER WITH LUCA & ELENA
I bought some salame with truffles at a little shop in Barolo...
Some antipasti.
Meanwhile, Luca Currado decants a rare bottle of Vietti 1961 Barolo!
Look at that color!
Giulia Currado and her dad.
Luciana is busy as Elena serves "plin," a special pinched pasta.
Soul food.
Mara, a friend of the families...
A bit of beef and 1961 Vietti Barolo...a good combination.
The wine had a magnificent aroma and bouquet and was delicious. We noted
hints of earth, leather and a faint berry tone.
Luca had a bottle of 1962 which he opened...
Elena, Giulia, Luca and Michele.
On
a lovely evening in 2010...here's what we ate and drank.
Luca,
as it turns out, is a big fan of Champagne.
So's
this guy...
Luca's Mom, Luciana Vietti and his wife, Elena Penna.
Even better with a glass of Vietti Barbera...old vines!
As Eric pontificated, Francesca was busy scurrying around the kitchen...
BACK
TO PIEMONTE
LUCA'S
2012 DINNER FEATURING OLD BAROLO
