Pedecastello Bianco 2023 - Alex della Vecchia

Alex grew up on his family farm in Belluno, in the northern reaches of Veneto, far from the hulking economy of wine booming from the plains of Treviso to the south. After inheriting some land from his grandfather, Alex initially intended to continue his work as a victualler, producing cured meats from the animals he reared on this inherited land. Having grown up making wine with his grandfather at their farm, Alex wanted to plant some vines so that he could carry on the tradition. In Belluno, the tradition of growing grapes had existed on the south facing terraces of Piave, where vines gres in the old promiscura way,and were mainly used to make wine for the family. That had been washed away with the arrival of oidium, then phylloxera to the hills. Soon after, Piave was a front during the first world war, after which mass emigration emptied thesee mountains of their working population, many travelling to America, Belgium and Switzerland. The Valley floors are at 400 metres in elevation, and farming is on narrow terraces higher up the mountains, so even though it’s warmer these days, the onditions are still challenging for the vines. Alex planted his first parcel of Pinot Noir there were only 60 hectares or so in the region under vine. If it wasn’t for the changing climate there would be none at all, according to Alex himself. After early success with his Pinot, Alex planted varieties of the Veneto like Bianchetta Trevigiana, a handul of PIWIs, and eventually varieties suited to the mountain conditions like petit Arvine. When it came time to make wine, Alex’s timing was serendipitous. He met Ernesto Cattel in the early days of Costadilà, who by chance was looking for some cattle. Alex took his opportunity and negotiated a spot at Ernesto’s cellar where he could vinify his grapes. This was the beginning of a fruitful collaboration between the enthusiastic student and the old master, and Alex worked alongside Ernesto over the years to come, eventually taking over from Ernesto at Costadilà after his untimely passing in 2019. Alex safely guided this now legendary estate through a difficult period before returning his focus to his own project in 2023. Tirelessly curious and eager to learn, Alex has worked with vineyards from across the north of Italy and beyond, absorbing the lessons and techniques he picked up along the way to implement them back at the family farm. In recent years, as his vines have matured, Alex has extended the time his wines age on lees in cask, with sensational results. He also continues to produce his ‘fermo’ and frizzante wines, showcasing a breadth of experience that belies his relatively youth.

Belluno has long been the forgotten story in Veneto’s wines, though as temperatures climb, these mountains in the northern reaches of the region are emerging as a new frontier for viticulture. Belluno’s plantings of vines have been increasing over recent decades, and Alex’s work on his family farm has been on the crest of that wave. Having trained in Conegliano, Alex did not want the soils of his mountain farm to go the same way as the eroding trevigiana hills, so chose to plant PIWIs, with these robust, resilient vines suited to the pressures of growing grapes in these hills. The Bianchetta Trevigiana, a regional variety, was grown here pre-phylloxera.

PIWI varieties are hybrid crosses between vitis vinifera and American or Asian vinestock, before back crossing with vitis vinifera over generations. The idea is to breed vines with natural resistance to disease pressure that produce wines that retain acidity and freshness. While they are not permitted by the DO, we’ll no doubt be seeing alot more of these varieties in the years to come

Grapes: Bianchetta Trevigiana, Solaris, Souvignier Gris, Johanniter, Bronner, Aromera, Muscaris

Region: Belluno, Veneto, Italy