Barolo en primeur raises a record €1.14 million for charity
The sixth charity auction at Grinzane Cavour Castle raised €1,140,500. Its fundraising goals include support for seasonal vineyard workers. The total could still rise: one barrel of Barolo Gustava will be offered at an additional auction on 8 November.
The auction took place on 23 October, with buyers participating from London and New York. According to Corriere della Sera, 22 lots were sold during the evening, and the total exceeded the 2025 result of €1,013,000. One of the most prominent lots, a 500-litre tonneau, sold for €370,000.1
What collectors bought
At the heart of the auction is wine from the historic Gustava vineyard beside Grinzane Cavour Castle. The organiser, Fondazione CRC Donare, describes it as a project combining winemaking with social initiatives. The vineyard belongs to Fondazione CRC, while the oenological work is carried out with the involvement of Donato Lanati and the Enosis Meraviglia laboratory.2
WineNews reports that 14 barrels of 2025-vintage Barolo Gustava were sold, each expected to yield about 270 bottles. The auction also included mixed lots of Barolo and Barbaresco from producers belonging to the consortium, as well as historic bottles. Labels featuring work by Venezuelan artist Sol Calero have been prepared for the future en primeur bottles.3
Wine for later delivery
The en primeur format allows bidders to take part in the charity auction while the wine is still ageing. According to WineNews, bottles from the sold barrels will be delivered to their owners in 2029, after the required ageing period. Barrel No. 15 is not yet included in the announced result: it is due to be auctioned on 8 November at the Alba White Truffle World Auction, with Hong Kong participating remotely.3
Supporting people who work in the vineyards
La Repubblica highlights 2 forms of support for seasonal workers: vocational training and temporary overnight accommodation. These are the Accademia della Vigna and an accommodation programme in premises provided by the Municipality of Alba. The available reports do not specify how the full amount raised will be allocated among the initiatives.4 · 3
The social purpose is built into the structure of Barolo en primeur itself. According to the foundation, the project supports healthcare, research, culture and social inclusion; proceeds from municipal lots also go to Alba’s oenology school and local organisations. For buyers, participation combines a future collectable bottle with funding for such programmes.2
Sources
Written by the Dionysus editors from the sources above.
