A new face on Berrys’ books this year is Lena Oddero, owner of Vigneti Luigi Oddero (so named after her late husband), whom I meet in their Rocche dei Rivera vineyard stunningly located in the heart of Barolo’s Castiglione Falletto village.

Appassionati of Nebbiolo and Barolo will probably have heard of the name ‘Oddero’ but few realise that the family cantina and estate (of some 60ha) was split in two in 2006 when Luigi, the family’s agronomist and enologist, was forced to leave the family home along with his young family (Lena, daughter Maria-Milena and son Giovanni, a splitting image of his father) to create a fresh start as ‘Vigneti Luigi Oddero’ (www.vignetiluigioddero.it). He also took with him c.32 ha of vines including the fabulous sites of Rocche dei Rivera and Serralunga’s Vigna Rionda. Meanwhile Giacomo and his family, headed up by Maria-Cristina Oddero, remained ensconced in the family home and retain the historic label.

Now Lena, aided by her brother Slavko, winemaker Gregorio (formerly at the original Oddero cantina prior to the split) and commercial director Alberto Zaccarelli, continue along the traditional path that Luigi Oddero set out on, making elegant Nebbiolo wines that reflect their provenance. Not an easy task it seems, given the clamour of commercialism echoing across the Langhe.

Tomorrow we will be in the Vigna Rionda vineyard…