The Beginning
In the early 80s, Pierangelo Careglio, not satisfied with his factory job which left little room to individual initiative, decided to assist his father Matteo in conducting the modest family farm. At that time, 2 small property vineyards constituted only a residual part of the properties, in majority devoted to the cultivation of fruit orchards. This is when Pierangelo matures the certainty that it would be necessary to specialize the production in pointing it towards something more profitable and stable, such as the cultivation of the vine. Given the peculiarity of the territory, he realizes that it would be necessary to convert the fruit production into the cultivation of the vine; which would open potential opportunities towards a market increasingly oriented towards the consumption of quality wines.
Passion
However, Pierangelo is not satisfied to limiting himself to the production of quality grapes, so, supported by a friend enologist, he decides to undertake wine-making and bottling, adapting a small portion of the farm to winery and providing it with the necessary equipment. Pierangelo is ready to take the challenge and to move from a few productions of table wine sold in bulk to the production of bottled wine, marketing the first bottles of “Roero Doc” and “Arneis table wine” with the label “Careglio Matteo”.
THE TURNING POINT
In general, the quality and interest of the market towards Roero wines grows significantly, in particular towards Roero Arneis which obtains the Doc in 1989 and since then becomes the leading product of the Careglio business. The demand and production of Careglio wine becomes more and more consistent, so that year after year the fruit cultivation is supplanted by the vine cultivation, but the agricultural properties become insufficient. Therefore, it was necessary to expand the vine cultivation by undertaking a consistent investment; the first idea was immediately towards the “Costabella” and “Valmezzana” hills.
FROM CHALLENGES THE BEST THINGS COME OUT
However, it is not easy to win the resistance of the farmers and to persuade them to sell their plot of lands, tied on the one hand to the gratitude of the efforts made by their ancestors and on the other to the belief that “there is always time to sell”.
Many small plots of land owned by various co-owners, as a consequence of inheritance successions.
But time, patience and stubbornness have allowed the consolidation of many small areas that constitute today a considerable extension of land, on which modern vineyards are harmoniously and mechanically joined together.
CAREGLIO, TODAY
In the meantime, Andrea, a qualified eno-technician from the renowned Enological School of Alba, moved by great passion, provides his full contribution in the family business. His commitment and his passion have also allowed the Careglio business to devote more attention to the image of the product and to its promotion; allowing Careglio wines to cross the borders of the local market and be distributed in many foreign countries. Finally, starting from 2017, the launch of a new structure will allow, in addition to supporting a greater production, a more modern management of the entire production process.