Vietti: Producer profile

‘When I was young, I wanted to be an archeologist or forest ranger,’ recounts Luca Currado. Instead, this self-deprecating storyteller became Vietti’s fifth-generation winemaker.

Founded in the late 1800s in the Barolo township of Castiglione Falletto, Vietti’s headquarters sit atop a maze of tunnels that serve as an underground cellar. The Vietti name comes from Currado’s maternal side. His mother, Luciana Vietti inherited the property when her father died. ‘She didn’t want to pay for a winemaker so she married my father Alfredo,’ Currado jokes.

In terms of whites, Vietti continues Alfredo’s legacy with a fresh and fruity Arneis. More recently, they invested in the Colli Tortonesi area and have just released their first vintage of Timorasso.

In 2016, Vietti was sold to American business mogul Kyle Krause. The news sent shockwaves through the wine world and the family was subjected to much criticism. ‘It was a painful decision,’ says Currado, explaining that it involved other family members who were no longer interested in the business.

However, four years on, Luca and Elena remain the faces and force of the winery. ‘We have a very clear agreement that allows us to have full management,’ asserts Currado. It has also given them the resources to purchase additional coveted sites, such as Roncaglie and Rabajà in Barbaresco and Cerequio and Monvigliero in Barolo.

While the long-term succession plan at Vietti remains to be seen, the near-term forecast looks bright – with the added prospect of some new cru bottlings.