Tenuta Valdivilla

Historic Moscato estate

Tenuta Valdivilla stands in Santo Stefano Belbo, within the Moscato d’Asti territory. It incorporates a historic winery devoted to Moscato production and six hectares of vineyards. Its oldest documented vineyard material includes Moscato Bianco vines that have grown for more than six decades; the current Vigna Vecchia and Sant’Ilario technical records give their average age as 70 years.

Valdivilla belongs to the Langhe-Roero and Monferrato vineyard landscape recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage site in 2014. Its viticultural setting forms part of a much older regional tradition built around the relationship between vineyards, local culture and human expertise.

Alessandro Varagnolo and the family project

Alessandro Varagnolo’s path began in Turin. His interest in wine developed during a career in the events sector, through which he formed relationships with restaurateurs and winegrowers in the Langhe and Monferrato.

The death of his grandfather—whom he regarded as a father figure—became a turning point. A formative family memory involved his grandfather offering him Moscato during a celebration and asking him to remember the flavour of his heritage. Varagnolo subsequently visited the Langhe and Monferrato more frequently, even while pursuing a promising international career.

He trained as a sommelier and became a Langhe Wine Ambassador through courses at the Barolo & Barbaresco Academy. Encouragement from local producers then helped him pursue the establishment of a family wine-and-hospitality business.

Wine, vineyards and hospitality

Tenuta Valdivilla now combines its Moscato vineyards and historic cellar with a Wine Country House. Five double or triple rooms overlook the vineyards, while tasting itineraries incorporate visits to the vines and cellar. The estate’s contemporary direction joins traditional Moscato production with sustainable vineyard management, hospitality and experimental maturation techniques, most notably the prolonged ageing of Vigna Vecchia bottles in sand.

Location and landscape

Tenuta Valdivilla lies at Strada Vecchia di Valdivilla in Santo Stefano Belbo, within the Langhe and the Moscato d’Asti territory. Its documented Moscato blocks stand at approximately 400 m above sea level. The vineyard records distinguish northern, north-eastern and south-eastern exposures, reflecting variation within the estate’s six hectares.

Valdivilla forms part of the Langhe-Roero and Monferrato vineyard landscape included on the UNESCO World Heritage list since 2014.

Soils

The Valdivilla technical records consistently identify white marls and blue clays. The broader description of these light, well-drained soils emphasizes calcareous marl with substantial sand and limestone, commonly described as “white soils.” Sand is associated with aromatic intensity and finesse, while limestone contributes structure and ageing capacity.

The old-vine Vigna Vecchia route is particularly associated with white marl. Its mature vines have developed deep root systems capable of reaching minerals and nutrients below the surface.

Climate and microclimates

The continental climate brings hot summers and cold winters, with the Alps moderating temperature extremes. Marked day-to-night temperature changes support aromatic development. Differences in microclimate and exposure provide varied expressions, while sunlight assists ripening without sacrificing natural acidity.

Tenuta Valdivilla’s vineyards are covered by SQNPI, the Sistema di Qualità Nazionale di Produzione Integrata, and the business is progressively approaching conversion to organic farming.

Integrated pest management limits pesticide use and incorporates pest-antagonist organisms and mating disruption. The stated objective is low-impact protection compatible with soil, human health and beneficial insects.

The broader restorative-agriculture programme is intended to rebuild soil health, biodiversity and ecosystem balance. Its practices include crop rotation, cover crops and reduced tillage. Agroforestry and traditional agricultural knowledge also form part of the approach. The intended effects include renewed natural soil fertility, better water retention, reduced erosion and greater ecosystem resilience. Farming is aligned with natural cycles, with regeneration of the land and biodiversity treated as goals alongside wine production.

The vineyards use classic Guyot training, varying from six to ten retained buds by block. All documented Valdivilla harvests are manual. Picking begins in the first ten days of September for the northern Lumine and Asti blocks, continues from mid-September for Sant’Ilario and reaches late September or early October for the slightly overripe Vigna Vecchia fruit.

Fruit reception and pressing

The Valdivilla Moscato programme uses soft pressing. Lumine and Asti are made from the freshest grapes selected for good acidity. Sant’Ilario is softly pressed in the presence of carbon snow. Vigna Vecchia uses slightly overripe fruit; a selected portion also undergoes gentle appassimento to concentrate it before processing.

Fermentation in pressure tanks

Stainless-steel autoclaves are central to production. Lumine ferments at a controlled 16–18°C until the desired perlage is formed and the wine reaches 5% ABV. Asti follows the Charmat method in stainless-steel autoclaves at 16–18°C, reaching 7% ABV.

Sant’Ilario remains on selected yeasts in a stainless-steel autoclave at 0°C until the spring following harvest. Fermentation then continues at 16–18°C until the desired perlage develops and 5% ABV is reached. After bottling, maturation continues until September of the year after harvest.

Vigna Vecchia likewise remains on selected yeasts in stainless-steel autoclaves at 0°C until the following spring. Fermentation then continues at 16–18°C to form the perlage and reach 5% ABV.

Vigna Vecchia sand maturation

After bottling, the limited production of Vigna Vecchia spends 60 months in crates filled with sand. Darkness, humidity, isolation and complete stillness provide the intended maturation conditions. The method is designed to demonstrate Moscato’s capacity for complexity, refinement and longevity by returning the finished bottles to the material associated with their vineyard origins.