The townspeople of Gattinara have been producing ethereal wines ever since the Ancient Romans conquered the Celtic tribes that inhabited these lands. Long before Barolo became an international hit, Gattinara’s pure volcanic soils were giving rise to Nebbiolo-based wines of profound perfume and elegance. Wandering the town’s narrow alleyways, visitors encounter imposing wooden entrances doubling as portals to bygone days of rustic winemaking. Luca Caligaris, proud Gattinara native and successor to multiple generations of vignerons, leads the curious down a tight staircase, through a subterranean fermentation room, and finally to an ancient cellar packed with large, weathered casks. In this magical setting, Luca vinifies Nebbiolo whose otherworldly tension rivals the greatest bottlings of Alto Piemonte. With total annual production numbering in the hundreds of cases, few are fortunate enough to taste this ascending winemaker’s whimsy.