Schiavenza
The Vineyards
The Winery
The People
Extension: 20 acres
In the vineyard, they do not use pesticides or herbicides. Harvest is manual and is conducted according to the phases of the moon. In the cellar, they use only naturally occurring yeasts, and ferment the wines in cement cisterns.
Production: 30.000 bottles
Schiavenza is located in Serralunga d'Alba in the heart of Piedmont's Langhe district, celebrated for its great Barolo vineyards. Their holdings include 9.2 hectares in Serralunga with a small 0.5ha plot in Monforte d’Alba, and include the heralded crus Prapò, Cerretta, and Broglio. For the last 19 years, they have also run Trattoria Schiavenza, right in the middle of the village of Serralunga, where their traditional fare draws in both local winemakers and tourists.
Proprietor: Luciano Pira, Walter Anselma
Winemaker: Luciano Pira
The estate was founded in 1956 by the brothers Vittorio and Ugo Alessandria; the estate and surrounding area were formerly part of the Opera Pia Barolo (a castle that is kind of like the Hospices du Beaune: part educational institution and part hospital) whose vineyards were traditionally worked by sharecroppers. The local dialect for sharecropper is schiavenza. Today, the estate is run by the second-generation Alessandria sisters, Enrica and Maura, and their husbands Luciano Pira and Walter Anselma.
Paolo Pellizzari, Walter Anselma, Sheila Pellizzari, Luciano Pira (left to right)