Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/992999
60 { THE SOMM JOURNAL } JUNE/JULY 2018 it was crucial to study business from a technical standpoint as she instead learned the fundamentals of viticulture and enology through hands-on training. She finds time to represent Pio Ce - sare as often as possible, pouring at events all over the world during her time off from school. The charismatic Benvenuto Pio, meanwhile, joined his uncle at Pio Cesare in 2000 and has been actively involved ever since. He's a strong advocate for both the winery's winemaking tradi - tions and the quality of the wines they produce: "I do it for the wine; the answer is in the glass," he says. New Heights for Estate Vineyards In the early '70s, Pio Cesare started to acquire vineyards of its own. Prior to that, many wineries purchased their grapes in Alba's Piazza Savona. Like many other esteemed producers of the time, Pio Cesare maintained "gentlemen agreements" with the same growers each year, which ensured rigid quality standards. In 1974, the family purchased Il Bricco; previously owned by a grower whom they'd worked with for many years, the property was their first estate vineyard in the Barbaresco DOCG. In 1979, they acquired the esteemed Ornato Vineyard, an impressive, south-facing amphitheater in the Barolo DOCG. Today, their production is nearly 100-percent estate grown with carefully-selected properties that predominantly span through - out the Barolo and Barbaresco regions. These properties sit between 300–420 meters (984–1,378 feet) above sea level, an elevation generally considered to be ideal for Nebbiolo. The region, however, has witnessed significant climatic shifts over the past few decades. Decreasing snowpack and rainfall as well as extended heat waves spurred Pio to take action: Just { cover story } "This is Pio Cesare," Cesare Benvenuto Pio, a member of Pio Cesare's fifth generation, says of the winery's barrel room. "This is the reason why we didn't leave Alba to build a new winery." The Pio Cesare property known as Il Bricco, which means "the peak of the hill," is located in the town of Treiso in the Barbaresco DOCG.