History
Origins and Carletto
Azienda Agricola Tacchino dates its winegrowing story to 1956, while the family’s agricultural experience extends beyond a century. The tradition was shaped by farming ancestors and by Carletto, the grandfather who kindled the family’s passion for wine. The estate is rooted in Castelletto d’Orba in Alto Monferrato, between Gavi and Ovada.
Luigi and the second generation
Carletto’s work and passion passed to his son Luigi. Several dated milestones belong to this period: the first vintages of Dolcetto di Ovada DOC and Barbera del Monferrato DOC were produced in 1990. The first vintages of Du Riva, Albarola, Di Fatto, Gavi DOCG del Comune di Gavi and Trivolì followed in 1999. These wines established Gavi, Dolcetto and Barbera as the historic core of the estate’s identity.
Romina and Alessio
Management subsequently passed to Luigi’s children, Romina and Alessio, the third generation. Together they manage the whole family business, from production through sales, continuing Carletto’s work while combining inherited practice with selective new cultivation technologies, supervision by trained agronomists, advice from expert oenologists and continuous controls in the vineyard and cellar. The first vintage of Buongiorno Piemonte Rosso DOC was produced in 2017, extending the range beyond its established historic wines.
2026 renewal
In 2026 the estate renewed its labels and visual language while retaining its family story, established wine styles and commitment to the character of Alto Monferrato. The current portfolio is organised as Le Storiche, Le Vigne, Il Desco and Le Bolle.
Terroir
The vineyards lie in Alto Monferrato at Castelletto d’Orba, between Gavi and Ovada. The landscape alternates well-exposed vineyard land with lush woodland. A natural amphitheatre shelters the vines from northerly winds, while favourable exposures, light-coloured ground and deliberately low production per hectare support careful fruit development.
Across the current range, vineyard elevations run from 250 to 350 metres above sea level. Exposures include south-east, south-west and west to south-west. The soils form a varied group: calcareous clay supports much of the Dolcetto, Barbera and blended-red material; white marl is associated with Cortese from the Comune di Gavi; clay-marl occurs in other Cortese sites; and marl-calcareous ground is used for Moscato Bianco. This combination of elevation, exposure, shelter and contrasting marl- and clay-based soils underpins the estate’s different expressions of Alto Monferrato.
Winemaking
Vines are trained to Guyot. The estate works at relatively low yields per hectare and uses planting densities of 4,500–5,000 vines per hectare where specified. New cultivation technologies are adopted selectively rather than as a replacement for established practice. Highly trained agronomists supervise the work, expert oenologists provide advice, and controls are maintained continuously in both the vineyard and cellar.
Harvesting is timed for full or optimal ripeness through September and October. Grapes are picked carefully by hand, selected and packed in the vineyard; for the principal red-wine material, the stated format is 20 kg crates. The approach preserves direct handling of the fruit from vineyard to cellar.
Production combines stainless steel, small oak vessels and pressure tanks according to the wine style. Temperature-controlled stainless-steel fermentation is central to the cellar: the principal reds ferment at 28°C and complete malolactic fermentation in stainless steel, while Cortese for still Gavi ferments at 12–14°C. The estate’s historic reds mature in 500-litre oak tonneaux for a period adjusted to the vintage; fresher Dolcetto, Barbera and blended-red expressions remain in stainless steel before bottle ageing. Still Gavi rests on fine lees in stainless steel for at least three months before bottling.
For frizzante Cortese, must ferments in a temperature-controlled autoclave; natural prise de mousse occurs at the end of fermentation, and the wine remains on fine lees for several months before bottling. Moscato must is held in steel at 0°C, fermented at 16°C, microfiltered and bottled to preserve freshness and aromatic character. Bottle refinement follows across the range for the time considered appropriate to each wine.
Philosophy
The family’s central metaphor is that wine is alive: it is born from the earth, grows, breathes through time, evolves and matures. In this view, wine must be cared for with the tenderness reserved for a child; only complete dedication allows its aromas, flavour, body and emotional range to emerge fully.
The estate frames its work as a meeting of memory and innovation. Carletto’s legacy and the experience of farming ancestors remain the point of departure, while Romina and Alessio use new cultivation technologies selectively and rely on professional agronomic and oenological oversight. Gavi, Dolcetto and Barbera embody continuity; new creations are intended to carry the same relationship with the hills of Alto Monferrato forward.
The Le Vigne range expresses a related production principle: simple vinification is used to foreground the grape variety, vineyard and land rather than obscure them. Across the business, care of the vineyard, attachment to the land, respect for tradition and rigorous control define the family’s understanding of quality.