Aldo Rainoldi
PIEDMONT, ITALY
Founded Late 19th Century - Owners Descendants of Giuseppe Rainoldi- Trivia Giuseppe Rainoldi started off trading in cereal!
By the age of 20, Giuseppe Rainoldi was a cereal trader and fruit grower. He had so much fruit that he started selling his wares to nearby Switzerland. As these were seasonal goods, he looked for a good that would be sellable all year round and came up with wine!
His son, Aldo, took over the company in the mid 1920s and, working with his father built up the wine export business, originally in small chestnut barrels. By the 1950s, bottled wine was becoming the norm and Aldo Rainoldi, as the company was now known, was at the forefront. The 1960s say Aldo's son, Giuseppe, take the reins and expand the company exporting out into the rest of Europe, North America and Japan, again growing the company further. Then in the late 1990's the next generation joined the company, with Giuseppe's son Aldo focusing on streamlining the production arm of the company, with two children - when they are old enough - waiting to continue this story.
The vineyards in the Valtellina valley is perfect for growing Nebbiolo, but is not without challenges. Rainoldi has nine hectares of vines here, clinging to the side of the steep slopes with spectacular terracing. The Nebbiolo vines, known locally as Chiavennasca, have an average age of over 60 years, and because of the nature of the vineyards, everything has to be picked by hand and, sometimes, carried off the hills by helicopter!
With Barolo prices creeping up, Rainoldi's Inferno is a fabulous alternative.
