Stefano Occhetti

Stefano Occhetti is a young artisanal winemaker who is one of the finest newcomers to Roero, a Lower Piedmont territory located just north of the Langhe, from which it differs because of its steeper hills and soils with a higher percentage of sand. After working for many years as an engineer living in Rome, Paris, and Stavanger, Stefano felt the call of home, that small town of Monteu Roero where his grandparents have always dedicated themselves to viticulture. Thus, in 2019 he picked up the baton by starting his own winemaking project, driven by a desire to return to his roots and change his life, starting winemaking in a small garage. The production philosophy adopted is based on work in the vineyard and craftsmanship in the winery, assumptions that underlie the remarkable territorial adherence of Stefano's wines. The estate is also dedicated to the cultivation of saffron, implemented without the use of any herbicides, with the pistils being harvested by hand and dried at a controlled temperature.
Stefano Occhetti's estate consists of just 3 hectares of vineyards, dedicated to the two most important black grape varieties of Roero: Nebbiolo and Barbera. The plants are located between 260 and 310 meters above sea level and rest on sandy soils. Most of Stefano's work is in the vineyard, his "outdoor office," where he begins in winter with soil preparation, aimed at allowing the roots to expand, followed by winter pruning operations. Weeds are controlled by mechanical mowing, thus excluding the use of harmful herbicides, while harvesting is done by hand with careful grape selection. Fermentations occur spontaneously and steel tanks, cement vats and French oak barrels are adopted as wine containers, depending on the wine in question.
Whether it is the smoothness of the Langhe Nebbiolo, the liveliness of the Barbera d'Alba or the complexity of the Roero 'Sanche', all of Stefano Occhetti's interpretations are striking in their spontaneity and pleasantness.