Fletcher

Early life and formation

At twelve years old, Dave Fletcher was expected to follow his father into engineering, but his attention turned instead to the wines served at the family dinner table, drawn from nearby Australian wine appellations and from around the world. He became fascinated by their mystery and the respect they inspired, and Pinot Noir became his guide.

Dave completed a four-year Oenology degree at the University of Adelaide. His first stop afterward was Burgundy, home of Pinot Noir, where he found seasonal work with a little-known producer in the Côte Chalonnaise. He then returned to Australia to work as an assistant winemaker at a Yarra Valley winery specializing in Pinot Noir and Chardonnay.

Discovery of Nebbiolo and move to Italy

At a masterclass hosted by several Italian wine importers, Dave discovered Nebbiolo, and everything changed. In 2007, he moved to the Langhe and joined the harvest team at Ceretto, one of Barbaresco's best-known estates. After several years of thought and time spent in the region, he became convinced that this was where he belonged.

Career at Ceretto and founding of Fletcher Wines

Dave's ideas — both forward-looking and respectful of the region's winemaking traditions — together with the quality of his work, earned him a role as the right-hand man to Alessandro Ceretto, the recently appointed young visionary of the family cantina. Today, Dave oversees red wine production at Ceretto while working at night to make his own wines.

Dave and his wife Eleonora bought Barbaresco's abandoned railway station, a historic building that they brought back to life and turned into both their cantina and their home. Production began with just Barolo and Barbaresco and has since grown to 7 wines, made from grapes grown across 12 different vineyards.