Pertinace

Ancient roots of the name

The Pertinace place-name has existed for millennia. The winery stands in Località Pertinace at Treiso, an area associated with the birth in 126 AD of Publio Elvio Pertinace, the military leader who became Roman emperor. His reputation for honesty, moral strength, tenacity and attachment to the land later became central to the cooperative’s name and identity.

Foundation in 1973

Mario Barbero and 12 other winegrowers from the Treiso area founded Pertinace as a cooperative in 1973. They chose the historic local name because the values attributed to Emperor Pertinace reflected the character they wanted for their shared enterprise. The original structure brought small growers together to pool knowledge and resources, with Nebbiolo and Barbaresco at the centre of production.

Environmental stewardship formed part of the cooperative’s outlook from the 1970s onward. The members’ vineyards continued to be managed personally, while cooperation, friendship and trust became the basis on which grapes were delivered and knowledge passed between members and generations.

Expansion of the winery

Production and sales grew substantially after the foundation. In response, Pertinace enlarged its cellar, wine shop and packaging department. Continued investment also introduced a photovoltaic system, lighter bottles, a new bottling line, low-impact delivery vehicles and technologically advanced machinery intended to reduce water and energy consumption.

The vineyard base reached 110 ha, distributed across several municipalities in the provinces of Cuneo and Asti. The original group of 13 Treiso growers expanded over time; the current cooperative comprises 20 members.

Sustainability and quality systems

By 2023, Pertinace reported production of 650,000 bottles, seven employees and commercial activity in 18 countries. Its integrated-production program encouraged all contributing members to reduce pesticides and other chemical inputs, and every member grower had obtained SQNPI certification.

During the implementation of the Equalitas organization standard, an internal audit was completed on 18 May 2023. It found the management system substantially compliant while identifying improvements still needed as the program matured. Traceability was singled out as a particular strength. Pertinace subsequently presented both Equalitas and SQNPI as active certifications, supported by annual reporting, processing protocols, analytical controls and environmental, social and economic improvement programs.

Pertinace’s cooperative members personally tend their vineyards and deliver the grapes through relationships of trust that have continued across generations.

Viticulture follows parameters defined by the integrated-production system. Pesticides and other chemical substances are kept to a minimum to protect beneficial insects and microorganisms, beginning with pollinators. Every member grower is SQNPI certified.

The environmental program promotes biodiversity, rational use of water, energy conservation, recycling and a circular use of resources. Pertinace also evaluates operational impacts and intends to calculate its water and carbon footprints every three years. Vineyard responsibility forms part of a broader objective to preserve the land’s integrity and its capacity to renew natural resources.

The production and maturation areas combine tall steel vinification tanks with large Slavonian oak casks ranging from 40 to 100 hl.

Barbaresco DOCG and the three named MGAs—Castellizzano, Marcarini and Nervo—are handled separately under the same core rules. Each matures for approximately 18 months in large Slavonian oak casks. This uniform cellar framework is intended to preserve the different character contributed by each vineyard.

Production is organized through formal processing protocols and systematic analytical controls extending from incoming raw material to the finished product. Traceability information is maintained across every stage. Supplier assessment considers both product quality and sustainability performance, while internal reviews check that the management system is applied correctly and support continual improvement.

Modernization has included a new bottling line and advanced equipment intended to lower water and energy consumption. The wider production program also encompasses lighter bottles, photovoltaic power and lower-impact vehicles for deliveries.

Pertinace places its work within the traditional Piedmontese approach to wine, beginning with vineyards personally managed by its members and continuing through vinification and maturation. Shared knowledge, friendship, cooperation and intergenerational trust are presented as practical foundations of the enterprise.

Its stated quality objective is to cultivate superior vineyards and make wines with prestige, elegance and distinct character. Barbaresco is central to that identity: the classic wine and three MGAs follow the same cellar principles, allowing differences between their sites to emerge through precise and sustained vineyard work.

The cooperative links tradition with contemporary investment rather than treating them as opposites. Large Slavonian oak casks remain fundamental to Barbaresco maturation, while analytical controls, traceability systems, modern machinery and improved bottling infrastructure support consistency and resource efficiency.

Environmental, social and economic responsibilities are treated as connected. The cooperative seeks to preserve the land, maintain a safe and healthy workplace, strengthen the well-being of the local community and build economic resilience through organized investment. Its declared environmental approach combines integrated farming, biodiversity protection, energy and water conservation, recycling and continuous impact assessment.