Cieck Sust 2023

Grape: Nebbiolo

Region: Piedmont, Italy

Farming: Organic

In the northwest corner of Italy, above Torino and below Val d’Aosta, sits the Canavese subregion of Alto Piemonte and the Cieck Winery, esteemed especially for its work with the native Erbaluce grape. Remo Falconieri, who founded the winery in 1985 and consults for other wineries in the area as well, works with his daughter Lia. Their 20 hectares are planted to indigenous varieties of the region, including Erbaluce, Barbera, Freisa, and the rare Neretto. The family also specializes in making sparkling wines that are hand turned, disgorged and stoppered with corks. Azienda Agricola Cieck was founded by Remo Falconieri—nicknamed "the Archimedes of bubbles"—a typewriter designer at Olivetti who traveled to France to learn sparkling wine production. He released his first vintage in 1987 and helped elevate Erbaluce's profile, contributing to its DOCG recognition in 2010. Forty years later, at 90, Remo is still involved. The wines—including passito and still reds—are a family obsession. Sust, in Piedmontese, means desire, craving, but it also means “to care for”, “to have at heart”. The cultivation of Nebbiolo in this area of Piedmont requires special care and a thorough knowledge of the pedo-climatic characteristics of every land parcel cultivated.

Food Pairing: Accompanies slow-cooked meat dishes, game and mature cheeses, but also pasta dishes such as tagliatelle with meat sauce.