Stefano Occhetti

From a converted garage beneath his family home, where space demands frequent reordering of the cellar, Stefano Occhetti is producing a small range (Barbera d’Alba, Langhe Nebbiolo, Roero DOCG Sanche, Arneis, and a sparkling Nebbiolo) of impressive wines. The engineer-turned-vigneron recently returned home to farm 1.8ha of Roero vineyards planted by his grandfather in the 1960s. Initially, Stefano borrowed equipment from nearby relatives and farmed the land solo. Today, vineyard work is considerate and almost entirely manual, not least due to the steepness of Stefano’s vineyards—the jeep climb is nail biting.

In the winery, Stefano’s work is artisanal, meticulous and exploratory. Arneis undergoes a cold-soak, fermentations are spontaneous in varying vessels (concrete, French oak and steel), nebbiolo can be floating or submerged cap depending on cuvee, maceration times differ similarly, as do malo percentages, and ageing vessels and duration—there is no rigid recipe; neither circumstance nor inclination allows it! Crucially, Occhetti is also not burdened by familial obligation or overbearing local traditions. His pursuit is simply to make fine wines which showcase the distinctness of his nearby vineyards and his work as a winemaker. Keep a keen eye on current and future releases!