Produttori di Carema – shorthand for Cantina Dei Produttori di Nebbiolo di Carema – is a group of Nebbiolo artisans on a heroic small-scale. Their wines are ethereal with heady aromatics (look for wild herbs, orange peel and fennel), brisk acidity and a haunting orange-tinged colour. If your Nebbiolo reference is Barolo, then these are to be understood differently, with a focus on levity, prettiness and fine acid for structure. They are a very different face of the grape variety and testament to Nebbiolo’s magic. Their annual limited release is one of our favourites and the wines are showing the Carema hallmarks of perfume and elegance. They are the perfect accompaniment to the transition from autumn to winter and amongst the most restaurant and wine bar friendly reds in the market.

Carema is a tiny, incredibly special appellation found on the border of Piedmont and Valle d’Aosta. It is home to a unique bio-type of Nebbiolo called Picotendro (Picotener) which is planted across 20 hectares of UNESCO listed vineyard architecture of terraces, stone pillars (pilun) and wooden pergolas. Visiting Carema, both in person, and through drinking their wines, is a pilgrimage that every Nebbiolo-lover should make.  

Although it has been *mostly* positive to see new projects/interpretations from outsiders, Produttori di Carema is the heart and soul of Carema. It is a winery made up by the locals – the generations of growers and the townspeople united by a desire to protect their vinous and architectural heritage. For very few is wine a full-time job. They tend the terraces and painstakingly rebuild granite pillar systems that hold their precious vines up towards the sun. It’s back breaking work. Support this tiny commune and its heroic growers, they make some of the most beautiful Nebbiolo wines of all.