Few wineries among those I have visited can tell the story of the peasant attitude of those who work there, of those who have created and carried out a project firmly anchored to agriculture and manual work as Claudio Alario. The winery is in Diano d'Alba and is part of Claudio's home, the production is limited to about 60,000 bottles but the philosophy is peculiar.

Claudio and family produce seven different wines, each from a single vineyard, without blends or fall-back denominations: Langhe Nebbiolo is not a downgraded Barolo, but has its own vineyard and its own different production logics. This should be clarified because it is inherent in the philosophy of Alario's house, that is, to maintain separate vinifications at all costs.

Claudio Alario was one of the first people I met in the environment, a handshake and a glance are enough to understand how much work he has done in the vineyard, to give a future to his land and his children, Matthew e Francesco, who are now carrying on the winemaking discourse. Matteo has been running the operations since the 2015 harvest and Francesco has recently joined the winery.

The company has existed since 1900, but it is since 1988 with Claudio that the grapes remain in the cellar and are bottled under the company name. The next steps were the acquisition of land from Barolo, a Sorano (Serralunga d'Alba) and Riva Ricca (Verduno), two MGAs that are peculiar because they are not very popular, despite their intrinsic value. However, everything starts with Dolcetto, declined in three versions, a unique choice in the panorama made with great courage. In addition to these five wines, the range is completed by Barbera d'Alba and Nebbiolo d'Alba, again from separate, independently managed vineyards.

I had the pleasure of meeting the family at the winery a couple of times, in both cases I stayed for many hours tasting the current vintage and something older. The family archive has bottles from the beginning of the 1990s, and the small production does not allow for many bottles to be set aside, even though they produce wines that can last many, many years, not just the two Barolo wines.

This winery is recommended for those who want to get to know a family dedicated to constant work in the vineyard, respectful winemaking and wines that are always recognizable.