Camparo

1980: the first estate wine

Campàro began during the cool summer of 1980, when Mauro Drocco decided to vinify grapes from the small group of vineyards surrounding the cellar that his father had left to him. Economic conditions were difficult, but the family remained closely connected to the land and its natural abundance.

Mauro built the estate gradually. Dissatisfied with the prevailing cultivation methods, he began experimenting with farming techniques intended to reduce environmental impact. As his confidence in the approach increased, production grew as well. He initially sold the wine in bulk, then progressed to bottling it directly in his father’s cellar.

1995: expansion into Barolo

In 1995 Mauro acquired a Nebbiolo vineyard suitable for Barolo production in the commune of Grinzane Cavour. This introduced a second important viticultural location alongside the family’s holdings around Diano d’Alba.

2000: organic certification

Five years after the Grinzane Cavour acquisition, Campàro obtained organic certification. The transition formalized the ecological direction Mauro had already been developing and eliminated treatments considered harmful to the environment and human health. The estate associates the resulting vineyard environment with the return of flowers and pollinating insects among the rows.

Campàro today

The family works with 8 hectares of land and presents Campàro as a family rather than simply a commercial enterprise. Its current direction combines organic farming, soil regeneration, biodiversity and adaptation to the conditions of each vintage. The named family team comprises Mauro, Mirella, Sara, Alberto and Alessio, while the estate’s overview records six team members in total.

Campàro has practiced certified organic agriculture since 2000, following earlier experimentation with lower-impact cultivation. Vineyard decisions are adjusted each year in response to the vintage, observed climatic changes and the vines’ natural timing, combining inherited agricultural knowledge with contemporary techniques.

Soil regeneration is central to the system. Different green-manure species are sown between the rows each year to rebuild fertility and expand biodiversity. The family also plants medicinal species and fruit trees in and around the vineyard. Grass is cut mechanically rather than controlled with herbicide.

Pruning follows a soft Guyot approach. Each vine receives targeted cuts intended to preserve its health and encourage balanced, gradual development. Plant protection is restricted to products allowed in organic farming, including materials of plant origin such as essential oils, together with copper and sulphur.

The estate continues to study and test techniques with a lower environmental impact. Its stated objective is to return value to the natural system from which production draws, while protecting the health of the land, the family and its customers.

Campàro’s first production was vinified in the family cellar from grapes grown in the surrounding vineyards. Mauro Drocco initially sold the wine in bulk before introducing direct bottling in his father’s cellar.

Production is interpreted separately for each vintage rather than governed by an unchanging formula. Ancient agricultural knowledge is combined with modern understanding, while the cellar’s stylistic objective is to preserve the identity of the varieties and sites. For Nebbiolo, wood is deliberately moderated so that oak does not conceal the variety’s natural character.

The range draws on five varieties—Nebbiolo, Dolcetto, Barbera, Viognier and Arneis—and includes varietal wines as well as blends. The red blend combines Barbera’s natural acidity, Nebbiolo’s tannin and Dolcetto’s fruit, while the white blend brings together Viognier’s floral and aromatic character with Arneis.