Massimo penna

Viticoltore, Alba, Piemonte, Italy

CASCINA CASANOVA’S STORY IS THAT OF A FATHER, ROMANO, WHO LEFT HIS BROTHERS AND THE FAMILY WINERY TO CREATE HIS OWN WINERY FOR HIS UNBORN SON. The story of Massimo Penna is that many Langhe winegrowers who believes in the potential of their landand focusing on quality. The first nucleus of the farm dates back to 1966 when his father bought the first plots to cultivate grapes and fruit. Then Massimo brings a breath of fresh air in the nineties. Today it has 18 hectares of vineyards used to produce Barbera d'Alba, Nebbiolo, Dolcetto, Arneis, Barbaresco. And his Barolo "La Serra" summarizes the philosophy. Vinified in a traditional way with submerged cap, it is matured in wood in a thousand liters barrels between 30 and 48 months. Aged in the bottle, it has two reading figures: the intensity and elegance. With a promise: improves with the passage of time.

It was 1966 and the only work he did was vinification of Dolcetto for local clients. Three years later the first Barbera and Nebbiolo vine stocks celebrated Massimo’s birth. Under his guidance, the estate reached 20 ha of terrain covered by vineyards, and he took a big step: the production of Barolo and Barbaresco, which here are left to ferment spontaneously. For now, Casanova is one of the few wineries which makes Alba DOC, an extremely recent appellation, a blend of Nebbiolo and Barbera.

Located in the administrative division of Alba, Madonna di Como, Cascina Casanova extends its top-end vines to La Morra, cru of Barolo, and uses low-impact cultivation techniques.