Rivella Silvia

Agricultural roots in Montestefano

Guido Rivella was born in Barbaresco, in the hamlet of Montestefano where the family business is now based. His grandparents and parents were farmers who worked the hillside land around Montestefano, establishing the agricultural continuity that the present enterprise sought to preserve.

Guido trained as an enologist at the Scuola Enologica di Alba. After spending a brief period working outside the Langhe, he returned when he was offered a technical collaboration—covering both viticulture and enology—with a major Barbaresco producer close to his home. That collaboration lasted 45 years and became the professional foundation for his later family project.

2010 — creation of the family enterprise

The business began in 2010 as the realization of a project Guido had considered since childhood and as a means of keeping the memory of his ancestors alive. He gave new purpose to the small property inherited from his parents, recovering the old cellar rooms, residential buildings and vineyards situated in prized locations.

The agricultural and agritourism business took the name of Guido’s daughter, Silvia. It combined 3 ha of vineyards, a cellar producing the family’s own wines and guest accommodation. Guido continued to contribute his winemaking and viticultural experience, while Silvia, Enrico and other members of the team developed the hospitality side of the enterprise.

Restoration of the historic cellar

The cellar in Montestefano was comprehensively renovated while retaining its historic character. Its original brick barrel vaults belong to different building phases extending from the late seventeenth century to the second half of the nineteenth century. Rooms on several levels, connected by stone staircases, were retained for maturation in small barrels and subsequent bottle aging.

A rural-development investment associated with the 2021 funding program provided for the conversion of an agricultural equipment-storage room into a wine-aging cellar, the addition of two casks and related technical work. The project had a total value of €33,215.04, including €13,079.64 from the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development.

Cantina Guido Rivella is based in the small hamlet of Montestefano in the commune of Barbaresco. Its named holdings extend across Barbaresco and Neive, with marked differences in exposure, slope, soil and vine age.

Estate soils and exposures

The Barbaresco holdings include clay and limestone, with deeper active soil in the warmer south-facing positions and cooler, lighter conditions in east- and southeast-facing areas. Sorì Montestefano has a more specific sequence of blue marl, clay and stratified sand. Fausoni combines clay, limestone and depth with lighter sandy layers. Marcorino contains clay and limestone together with sand and pale marl.

The vineyards occupy medium to very steep slopes. Exposures range from east at Bibìnet and part of Patricone to fully south-facing Sorì Montestefano and southwest-facing Marcorino. These site differences are the basis for vinifying and presenting Montestefano, Fausoni and Marcorino separately as Barbaresco MGAs.

Barbaresco territory

The Barbaresco zone is described as approximately 1,500 ha of vineyards distributed among Barbaresco, Neive, Treiso and the small San Rocco Seno d’Elvio area. Position, microclimate, soil and exposure are identified as decisive variables for Nebbiolo. The denomination contains 66 MGAs, a little over 30 of which are regularly claimed on labels; Cantina Guido Rivella produces three of them.

Barbaresco’s territory extends from approximately 155 to 350 m above sea level and contains about 330 ha of vineyards, 77% planted to Nebbiolo. Neive has approximately 700 ha under vine, around 40% of it Nebbiolo. Treiso reaches 495 m at Cappelletto and has more clay-rich terrain; Nebbiolo represents approximately 35% of its 505 ha of vineyards. San Rocco Seno d’Elvio is the smallest and least densely planted to Nebbiolo of the four constituent areas.

The family’s 3 ha of vineyards are distributed among five named holdings in Barbaresco and Neive. Guido Rivella applies his viticultural experience to the planning and supervision of vineyard work. Site identity is preserved by treating Montestefano, Fausoni and Marcorino as distinct Nebbiolo origins, each capable of separate vinification as an MGA.

The plantings include Nebbiolo and Barbera across contrasting exposures and slopes. Vine age ranges from young and mature blocks at Montestefano to vines over 70 years old at Marcorino. Marcorino’s old, low-yielding planting preserves multiple Nebbiolo subvarieties and naturally occurring crossings.

Historic, multi-level cellar

Production takes place in the restored cellar at Montestefano. Original brick barrel vaults dating from the late seventeenth century through the second half of the nineteenth century cover rooms arranged on different levels and linked by stone staircases. Wines mature in small wooden vessels and continue aging in bottle. A rural-development investment also provided for the conversion of an equipment-storage room into a dedicated wine-aging space and the addition of two casks.

Fermentation and maturation

Red-wine production uses temperature-controlled stainless-steel tanks. Nebbiolo and Barbera may be fermented and matured separately before blending and bottling. For the longer-macerated Nebbiolo wines, fermentation and skin contact run for 22–26 days in stainless steel, followed by malolactic fermentation and 14–18 months in a combination of barriques, tonneaux and small casks of different capacities. The wines then rest for several additional months in bottle before release.

Barbera undergoes 12–14 days of fermentation in stainless steel at 27–29°C. Malolactic conversion and six months of maturation take place in small, previously used wooden vessels before bottle aging. Nebbiolo and Barbera destined for the Langhe blend ferment separately for 14–18 days at 28°C and remain separately in wood for 6–12 months before blending and bottling.

The rosé receives brief skin contact during fermentation, sufficient to extract a pale ruby color and varietal aromatic components. Chardonnay is lightly macerated during pressing, fermented in a mixture of new and used wood, undergoes malolactic conversion and remains in wood for approximately 12 months. This Chardonnay originates from a collaboration between Guido Rivella and a grower with a vineyard in Diano d’Alba rather than from the estate’s own 3 ha.

Nebbiolo pomace is also processed by discontinuous distillation, followed by 18 months in small French-oak casks.