It’s not just a matter of skill – it’s a mindset, reflected in consistent, thoughtful choices. For us, it means staying true to a clear vision of wine – one that’s rooted in the history of our land – and carrying it forward, generation after generation.
Great wine starts in the vineyard. That’s why we work only with historic, highly-suited sites in the hills of Langhe and Monferrato, a UNESCO World Heritage landscape.
We grow only native varieties – Nebbiolo, Barbera, Cortese and Moscato – using practices that protect biodiversity and support ecological balance.
Every task is done by hand: natural fertilization, cover crops, green manures, selective thinning, and harvesting cluster by cluster. Ours is a craft-driven approach – each vine and berry is treated with the care it deserves, because each tells the story of its place.
By staying close to the vineyard throughout the season, we’re able to respond to its pace – not impose ours. Field tastings, observation and analysis guide the timing of every harvest.
Our winemaking respects the integrity of the fruit. Pressings are gentle. Fermentations and macerations are balanced for precise extraction. For our top crus, we still use open-top oak vats, as in the past, with frequent manual punch-downs and controlled temperatures.
We use wood with restraint – “more bottle, less barrel.” Nebbiolo ages in large and mid-sized casks. Barbera and Nizza alternate between large and small.
Whites rest in stainless steel to preserve acidity and freshness. All our top crus spend at least a year in bottle before release – time needed to find their balance.
2026 will mark the 70th anniversary of Michele Chiarlo – a milestone that reflects a clear vision, carried forward by four generations. For our family, wine is both passion and purpose – knowledge passed from father to son, constantly evolving without ever losing its core.
This legacy has taught us that to innovate doesn’t mean changing direction. It means honoring what came before – and guiding it toward the future.
To cultivate a place is to take good care of it. Every choice we make – in the vineyard, in the cellar, in how we welcome guests – is shaped by a commitment to protect the environment and safeguard the landscape.
It’s not just about protocols. It’s about how we live and work each day – with the land, with the people who farm it, and with future generations in mind.
In 2010, Michele Chiarlo was among the first Italian wineries to work with the Ministry of Agriculture to help define national sustainability standards. In 2013, we received our first sustainability certifications for our crus – the result of a vision grounded in ethics, research, and respect.
Today that commitment lives on through an Equalitas- and SQNPI-certified model of integrated viticulture that guides every part of our work, from agronomy to energy efficiency at the Calamandrana winery. Our goal is lightness: to preserve by reducing our footprint and championing biodiversity.
For us, care means responsibility – an ongoing dialogue with the land, to protect its balance and express it through wine.
