The Estate

First recorded as an agricultural farm in 1737, the property was brought back to life by Guido Carlo Alleva who started working at the estate in the 2000s. Guido decided to return to where he was born, resuming his family’s tradition as a viticulturalist. Tenuta Santa Caterina Estate has since been restored by the skillful hands of local craftspeople, under a concerted effort to respect the past that it once inhabited. The Palazzo, the Porticos, the Italian Gardens, the Stables, the Old Cellar with brick vaults, and the Infernòt, dug deep into the “tufo” up to 17 meters deep, have all been brought back to life with a modern touch. Infernòtis a Piedmontese is a term that describes underground cellars used for the conservation of wines: an authentic jewel of underground architecture, now recognized by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site.  

The local area

Tenuta Santa Caterina Estate is located in Piedmont, in the village of Grazzano Badoglio, on the gentle hills of the Colli Divini” (Divine Hills) in the heart of Monferrato’s province of Asti. This is an area where vineyards have always dominated the local landscape and where historical monuments bear witness to the long-lived origins of this unique community and place.

The Vineyards

Substantial care, attention and research have formed a key part in the recovery of over twenty hectares of vineyards. Following the principles of symbiotic agriculture, these vineyards have been brought back to life using organic fertilizers and other microbiological viticulture techniques. In compliance with the local viticulture rules, Monferrato’s indigenous varieties such as Grignolino, Freisa, Barbera, Nebbiolo, as well as others long present in the area (Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc), have been successfully revived and replanted.

Cellar

The wines from Santa Caterina Estate are made from grapes grown exclusively in our own vineyards. This gives each one its own specific fingerprint from our very own doorstep. Each bottle we produce is of ‘Cru’ quality, with each bunch of grapes, grown over many long months, receiving substantial attention and care as they mature and ripen. Our fermentations are carried out with indigenous yeasts that live naturally on the grapes’ skins. The wine is then aged first in barrel, then in bottle, resting in the coolness of our cellars until we consider them ready to be released. We strongly believe that such meticulous practices are essential to bringing the soul of our landscape and the passion of the winemaker into the glass and guarantees that the wines will continue to express their very best over the course of many years to come.