Schiavenza

Schiavenza winery is located in Serralunga D’Alba in the heart of Piedmont’s Langhe district well known for its Barolo. The estate was founded in 1956 by brothers Vittorio and Ugo Alessandria. Today it is run by the son-in-law Luciano Pira, agronomist and cellar professional, supported by the wife Maura and by the brother-in-law Walter. The estate and the surrounding area were traditionally worked by sharecroppers (tenant farmers, who work land that’s rented from its owner.). The local dialect for sharecropper is “schiavenza” which should give one a clue as to the style here; this is no modern “barrique” aged Barolo estate. The Barolos here are aged in the traditional large Slovenian barrels called, using only natural yeasts and fermenting the wines in cement cisterns. The estate covers approximately 8 hectares split between Serralunga and Monforte D’Alba and includes the heralded crus Prapo, Bricco Cerreta, and Broglio.