CULTURE

The heart of piedmont, with piedmont in its heart

Since 1953, the history of Terre dei Santi has been about the passionate commitment of its members, of their stubborn perseverance in working their vineyards, in ceaselessly preserving the native grapes that constitute the vitivinicultural heritage of Piedmont.

Its dedication to viticulture extends to its surroundings, to protecting its environment, and to improving the social fabric and hospitality structures of a region that many are just now discovering, one that proudly showcases its uncontaminated nature and its un-blighted landscape.

The winemaking centre of Piedmont


Our 150 grower-members cultivate over 320 hectares of grapes subdivided into 2,500 individual vineyards in the very heart of Piedmont.

Ours is a fine-winemaking tradition going back centuries, in an area strategically sited on key continental trade and communications routes, where monasteries contributed to spreading and preserving the Piedmontese winemaking culture. Passing through our region is the 45th parallel north, the “magic latitude of wine” that marks the world’s finest wine-producing areas-- Bordeaux, Burgundy, the Napa Valley, Oltrepò Pavese—and represents the quintessence of natural equilibrium: the midpoint between the Equator and the North Pole.

Protecting biodiversity and human resources


Terre dei Santi has always epitomized a cooperative way of working, that keeps it sights fixed on the welfare of its area and its people before it does profits

In the hard years of the aftermath of World War II and the depopulation of the countryside, we persevered in maintaining faith in viticulture, continuing to supply our members with equipment, expertise, and income so that they would not have to abandon their livelihood and their heritage of grapegrowing. The social DNA of the winery played a crucial role in preserving the agricultural countryside, and its anthropological, material, and ampelographic wealth. Today, grape varieties that seemed destined for extinction or marginalisation are the pride of our production, such as Freisa di Chieri and Freisa d’Asti; Malvasia di Castelnuovo Don Bosco, Albugnano, and the extremely rare Cari.

A totally transparent production process


Terre dei Santi vinifies grapes exclusively from the vineyards of its members

This guarantee of the area of wine origin and consistency set us apart in the cooperative winery world and ensures that our wines are the products of individuals who, on a daily basis, believe in and contribute to the quality of Piedmont’s wines.

Innovation and scientific research


More than 25 years of technical analysis, grape sampling, and soil and weather studies of our vineyards have made it possible to design quality-driven protocols aimed at achieving the highest possible quality crop of which each individual vineyard is capable.

Season after season, we know how to predict and prepare for the most appropriate operations to perform in the vineyard; the right moment and method of treatments; as well as the correct period to harvest each grape variety, in each parcel of every vineyard. Thanks to the constitution of our “quality map,” we have contributed to create among our members a better understanding of the characteristics of each variety, so that each can reach its fullest varietal potential and that the grapes arrive at the winery sound and healthy, crisp and aromatic, and at the perfect point of ripeness.

Sustainable viticulture


Terre dei Santi’s production philosophy is centred on its growing area and on its vineyards, which we are committed to respect by adopting a “delicate” and careful agronomic system.

The protocols we have established encourage low-environmental impact viticulture; promote organic practices; reward low crops per vine, careful leaf- and cluster-thinning, and manual harvesting. We concentrate above all on the most appropriate moment to carry out all vineyard operations, on activities focused on preserving natural balance in the vineyard and in the surrounding growing area, crucial factors in reducing the number of anti-pest treatments and contributing to better quality wines.

Analyses and monitoring


Terre dei Santi rewards its grower-members through a remuneration system based on the quality of the grapes they deliver, not on crop size.

A rigorous evaluation system, executed visually and through laboratory analyses, reveals varietal fidelity, berry health, harvest quality, and ripeness level at the moment the grapes are delivered. The results of these procedures determine the remuneration level for the crop, with significant additional rewards for higher-quality grapes. Furthermore, these analyses make it possible to select the most appropriate vinification process for each lot of grapes and which type of wine they should produce. Finally, each of Terre dei Santi’s wines is finalised only after careful evaluation of its maturation and ageing results.

Members, family, territory


Right from its very establishment, the mission of Terre dei Santi has been to bring togheter its own grower-members, recognising that their practice of viticulture is the primary engine of economic growth of the region.

Today, almost 200 families live and work at Terre dei Santi, actively contributing to their own economic protection and advancement, building a collective and capillary growth that our winery encourages through sponsorship of cultural, social, and tourist events. One example is InCollina, a social-advancement organisation whose mission is to put the spotlight on Castelnuovo and its surroundings by highlighting its assets in the area of nature, history, and fine food and wine. Since 2018, InCollina has been working to open and manage the Vezzolano Abbey, which attracts more than 35,000 visitors a year. It has launched experimental programmes together with the Rete del Romanico organisation and the Polo Museale del Piemonte to promote appreciation and use of Vezzolano’s monastery buildings and of its surrounding lands.

TERRE DEI SANTI

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