Storia
Nineteenth-century beginnings
Cascina Sciulun stands in Bussia, a hamlet of Monforte d’Alba. The traditional Piedmontese farmhouse was built in the middle of the nineteenth century and has always belonged to the Conterno family.
Pietro Conterno began the family’s winegrowing activity during the second half of the nineteenth century. He devoted the family’s 18 hectares of land to Nebbiolo vineyards. The grapes were initially sold to other cellars for vinification; in a later phase, they became the raw material for the family’s own wines.
Pietro was known locally for carrying an exceptionally large pocket watch. This earned him the Piedmontese nickname “Sciulun,” meaning “Cipollone” or “large onion.” The nickname remained attached to the family and supplied the name of Cascina Sciulun.
The twentieth century
The farmhouse was enlarged during the 1940s. Responsibility for the agricultural and wine business passed from Pietro to his son Giacomo and subsequently to Giacomo’s son Franco.
Franco Conterno takes the helm
In 1995 Franco assumed leadership of the winery together with his wife, Vilma. He gave the business his name and established the identity under which it operates today.
In 1996 the estate first joined the Regional Rural Development Plan, formally connecting its farming programme with environmental safeguards. The same year also marked the beginning of hospitality at Cascina Sciulun, when the family opened its first two guest rooms.
The vineyard holding subsequently grew from Pietro’s original 18 hectares to 28 hectares distributed across Monforte d’Alba, Barolo, Castiglione Falletto, Novello and Madonna di Como.
Organic certification and the next generation
Franco Conterno obtained organic certification in 2015. Organic principles apply both to vineyard management and to the products and processes permitted during vinification under European Regulation 203/2012.
Franco and Vilma’s sons, Daniele and Andrea, later joined the family business. Their work encompasses both the vineyards and cellar, where they have introduced new ideas and technological innovation while continuing the family’s agricultural activity.
Development of Cascina Sciulun
Cascina Sciulun was renovated and expanded in 2019. Four new rooms and one apartment opened that September, developing the hospitality activity begun with two rooms in 1996. The present complex combines the historic farmhouse, working winery, vineyards and agriturismo.
Terroir
The 28 hectares of estate vineyards are distributed among Monforte d’Alba, Barolo, Castiglione Falletto, Novello and Madonna di Como. Elevations across these holdings range from 250 to 400 metres above sea level. The general soil matrix combines sand, silt and clay, while the principal exposures face south and south-west. The combination of soil, exposure and distinct local microclimates underpins the differences among the sites.
Bussia, in Monforte d’Alba, occupies very steep, plastic and difficult-to-work clay-rich ground, with southern to south-westerly exposure. Panerole, in Novello, is likewise very steep and difficult to cultivate, with plastic, clay-rich soil and a south-westerly exposure. Pugnane is associated with Castiglione Falletto in the estate’s Barolo selection.
At Madonna di Como, the Barbera site identified as Bricco Torta lies on steep, plastic, difficult terrain rich in tuff and sand. Arneis fruit is also sourced from Canale, where sand and clay predominate. The Alta Langa vineyard source at Serravalle Langhe reaches 718 metres, faces south/south-west and consists of steep, marl-rich terrain that is difficult to work.
Vinificazione
Franco Conterno combines modern technology with traditional manual cultivation and environmental safeguards. The estate first joined the Regional Rural Development Plan in 1996 and has held organic certification since 2015.
The annual vineyard cycle begins in autumn by aerating the soil in alternating rows. Green-manure crops are then sown using broad beans, field beans, barley, wheat and oilseed rape. Undervine vegetation is mown, eliminating the need for herbicides, while grass between the rows is cut. Plant protection relies on copper and sulphur. Fertilisation rotates through the vineyards and uses animal manure exclusively.
Synthetic fertilisers, herbicides, fungicides, insecticides and other pesticides are excluded, as are genetically modified organisms. Each hectare receives approximately 630 hours of manual labour annually. Operations include Guyot pruning, green pruning and bunch thinning intended to support complete ripening.
Ripeness decisions are informed by analysis of the bunches for sugar, total acidity, pH and polyphenols. Harvesting is manual where specified, with grape selection conducted in the vineyard; the high-altitude Alta Langa fruit is also selected once more before pressing.
Reception and fermentation
Harvest marks the transition from vineyard work to cellar work. Before picking decisions are finalised, bunches are analysed for sugar, total acidity, pH and polyphenols. After reception, grapes intended for the estate’s standard red-wine process are destemmed and crushed to release the must.
Fermentation takes place with the skins in temperature-monitored stainless-steel vats. No yeast is added. Fermentation duration varies with both grape variety and vintage. Three or four aerative pump-overs are performed each day to oxygenate the mass evenly, support colour stability and facilitate correct alcoholic fermentation.
Malolactic fermentation follows alcoholic fermentation naturally, converting malic acid to lactic acid and stabilising the wine.
Maturation
Vessels and maturation periods are selected according to grape and wine type. Stainless steel is used for Chardonnay, Dolcetto and Freisa. Other wines mature in wood: 225 l barriques are used for Barbera and Langhe Rosso, 500 l tonneaux for Nebbiolo, and large 15–50 hl casks generally for Barolo.
Bottle maturation completes the process. For the more prestigious wines, this normally lasts between six months and one year. The extended Sette7anni programme is an estate example: 84 months in large oak casks followed by another 12 months in bottle.
All products and cellar processes used for organic vinification comply with European Regulation 203/2012.
Filosofia
Franco Conterno defines its approach through the combination of modern technology, inherited agricultural practice and respect for the environment. Organic farming is treated as a production philosophy rather than an isolated certification: vineyards are cultivated without synthetic chemicals or GMOs, while cellar inputs and processes remain within the limits of European organic-wine rules.
The declared objective is natural vineyard management and a wholesome vinification process capable of preserving the aromas and character associated with the Langhe. Intensive manual work, cover crops, animal manure, copper and sulphur, spontaneous fermentation and vessel choices tailored to each grape variety translate that position into working methods.
Continuity is family-centred. Pietro’s agricultural activity passed through Giacomo to Franco and Vilma, and then expanded to include Daniele and Andrea. The younger generation’s role is framed as bringing fresh ideas and innovation to the vineyards and cellar while maintaining the family’s work on its own land.