In 2000, Paolo De Marchi took over another winery, the Villa Sperino in the village of Lessona, located 20 kilometers east of the provincial capital Biella. With this, De Marchi returned to the origins of his family's winemaking tradition, which had owned the estate as early as the 19th century.
Even after ten years, the estate and its vineyards still resemble an enchanted fairy tale castle. More than 150 vintages of wine slumber in the wine cellar!!! In the old library, we found packages tied up with old labels under centimeters of dust, the oldest examples dating back to 1865. We couldn't believe our eyes. Of the once approximately 40,000 hectares of vineyards in the region, only about 40 hectares remain today, the rest is completely forested. During walks through parts of the forests, the old vineyards were still very recognizable.
Paolo De Marchi reactivated nearly 10 hectares of land at the winery. Thanks to his expertise in terms of vines, varieties, and soils, as well as the active support of his talented son Luca, the first grapes were already vinified in 2004. The Uvaggio wines, which have their own D.O.C., mainly consist of the grape varieties Nebbiolo (known as Spanna there), Vespolina, and Bonarda. A delicious rosé wine called "Rosa del Rosa" is vinified from the young vines.