The Nino Negri Winery: tradition and innovation in Valtellina

Today we are going to steep ourselves in the scenario of the Valtellina, a fascinating valley located north of Lake Como in the province of Sondrio.
A land with a unique scenery, sheltered at its head by the Rhaetian Alps where the vines grow on difficult lands on the mountain slopes, protected from the cold winds of the north and exposed to the sun from dawn to dusk. Here, where the noble Nebbiolo vine grows (known locally as Chiavennasca) is the home of our our Nino Negri winery, proprietor of all of 31 hectares of vines located in the most prestigious zones:  Sassella, Grumello, Inferno and Valgella.

One of the features of vine cultivation in this zone is the incredible terrace system, consisting of a myriad of dry stone walls that sustain the vine trunks, built centuries ago to permit cultivation by men who were passionate and stubborn at the same time: true "heroes of the vine"!
It is not rare around here to see vines sticking their roots directly into cracks in the rocks and if you are here at harvest time raise your eyes to the sky because you might also see a helicopter used for harvesting the grapes: this is a truly exceptional and fascinating spectacle to tell your friends about! :)

Everything started in 1897 when Nino Negri, originally from Aprica, married Amelia Galli and decided to launch a wine business in Chiuro: from that moment the entire history of Valtellina wine was to change. In 1927 his son Carluccio joined the company and became the true force behind the winery's development and qualitative growth.

Carluccio Negri was a person who loved to study, stay informed and travel. He would roam all over the world seeking new oenological techniques to learn and apply in the regional realities of which he was so deeply proud. Carluccio knew perfectly well that only here, in this valley with such unique and special features, could he obtain that marvellous nectar, Sforzato, which would soon become famous all over the world. Production of the wine, “Sforzato”, constituted a fundamental moment for the winery's evolution:  Negri was the first wine business to begin the diffusion of the local naturally dried Nebbiolo grape and, in 1956, to begin marketing it in a regular manner.  

An actor who has played an important role in the past and present of Cantina Nino Negri is its oenologist, Casimiro Maule who, with over 43 harvests under his belt him and with all his awards he has collected (Oeonologist of the year in 2007 for Gambero Rosso), he has contributed over the years to the success of this enterprise, in perfect equilibrium between protection and innovation, and he has become its point of reference today.  

And it is specifically thanks to his drive during the eighties, right in the middle of a market crisis, that a new project was studied and blossomed with the birth of Sfursat 5 stelle in 1983, aged in new barriques just as it would then be in the years that followed.  Sfursat 5 stelle, produced exclusively in the best years, is the fruit of a long procedure and the selection of the best bunches from the different vines. Having become the jewel in the crown of this winery's output and considered today to be one of the 50 wines that changed the face of Italian wine production, this wine of supreme quality has led to a re-evaluation of the entire Valtellina territory.

And so the fascinating history of Nino Negri and its territory is profoundly linked to the work of these 3 great men: Nino and Carlo were ahead of their time, inventing a modern business in an isolated valley in the middle of the mountains, and then Casimiro took it forward with great foresight and tenacity. What they unquestionably had in common was their great passion which drove them to battle over the years to protect these lands at all costs, so that we can savour it intensely through the great wines of Cantina Nino Negri.

Let's end our story with a video: we are certain that this is the best way to immerse you in this extraordinary place of which we are so profoundly proud.