Like many family businesses in Italy, the tradition of passing along the reigns of a winery and vineyards to the next generation has been entrenched in patriarchy for centuries. The sons or nephews were expected... Read More

Like many family businesses in Italy, the tradition of passing along the reigns of a winery and vineyards to the next generation has been entrenched in patriarchy for centuries. The sons or nephews were expected to take over once they were ready. Thankfully that has been changing, and in Barolo there are great examples of super talented women who've been at the helm for years now, Marta Rinaldi and Maria-Theresa Mascarello come to mind immediately.

But to be given the keys to the car, or in this case the entire family business, at the age of 24 is a very rare thing. And that is exactly what happened to Giulia Negri over a decade ago. After studying in Burgundy, and developing a love for Pinot, Chardonnay and micro climats, she returned to the family farm in Serradenari. Known for having the highest elevation vineyards in La Morra, her family's parcels also contained some forests that are prized for their truffles.

Giulia experimented with producing many different cuvées from micro parcels for several years, hoping to gain a true understanding of the special terroirs she had inherited. Then, in 2014 she officially re-launched with her own label, making Barolo, Chardonnay and Pinot using traditional winemaking methods.

Farming has always been key and she has converted every vineyard to fully organic practices, as is a soft touch in the cellar. For her Baroli she uses only large, Slavonian oak botti for aging and strives for elegance over power and extraction.