From the passion for the land to the strengthening of a way of living: “The tale of grandpa Alfonso”.
My passion for the land has its roots in the life free and a bit wild of my childhood when, unware of other ways of living, I wondered in my father’s property looking for nests on the trees or in the hedges. I wanted to find the babies, take them in my hands, caress them and try to grow them up, most times ending up with a failure. Recently I have regretted this behaviour, but the desire was very intense then. And also when I was pasturing my dear placid cow “Cita”, which every year gave us a baby calf and a lot of milk… with a friend we were going in the stubble-lands or along the verdant sides of the streets, which ignored the cars, and meanwhile our cows were gorging on, we played a lot of different games.
Growing up I discovered the charm of nature which every year, after the winter rest, makes life springing forth again and gives us generously her fruits. To be actor and to have the possibility to intervene in this life cycle, has been so fascinating for me.
At the beginning of the 60’s my father’s land was too small, so I had to find a paid job. I started working at Cinzano, an historical winery in Santa Vittoria d’Alba. After some months of generic jobs, they proposed me to work in the laboratory analysis of the firm, because they needed a general worker. Why me? My best merit was that I had my middle school licence, rare at that time, because it wasn’t compulsory. Anyway this new job helped me to approached the oenologists of the winery and in several years of experience I got to know the wines and the oenology world: the wine tasting, the manufacturing techniques and the essential analysis.
I always loved reading and I am a self-taught person. Reading opened my mind, created in me a lot of different passions and curiosities and the love for good things. For example, I collect minerals and treasure fossilized seashells which I found in the vineyards hoeing the ground.
After the advent of the tractors I treasure exposed my own old tools. And so it was for the vines. My father had a rag-bag of different kinds of vine varieties in his vineyard, to make one wine for the table, the uvaggio. Now the crops are specialized in Nebbiolo, Dolcetto, Barbera, Arneis, ext. but I always remembered the vine varieties of my childhood (Balau, Tocai, Curnaietta, Ciaria, Grec and Barbarossa) that’s why I wanted to keep some speciments as a memory.
For the same reason I couldn’t abandon those steep slopes so difficult to farm, the Sorì. In the Sorì have struggled my folks achieving great results; with appropriate adjustments we kept them.
I harbour a great affection for the traditions and for my past. I always had the same feeling for the votive pillar, built from my grandfather on the top of the windy hill, at around the 1918.
That lonely place protected by the great pine, the image of the Virgin Mary with her Child and the view which reaches so far, give a sense of rest and peace.
After so many years the votive pillar needed some renovations and now, with some improvements, forgive me grandpa, it is ready to watch over our family for other hundred years.
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