At the border of Piedmont with Valle D’Aosta sit the steep vineyards of Carema where the vines are trained in traditional pergola style. When you look at the steep slopes and hard granite stones you realise why this is called heroic viticulture. The grape variety is principally Nebbiolo and it is another tiny area of production with only 18 hectares under vine but prices of land have risen dramatically as younger producers realise the potential. Cella Grande are still new to winemaking – their first vintage was in 2017 but owner Roberto Bagnod (who has a long history of cheese making as well as owning a beautiful ex-monastery with 8 rooms and a restaurant) is making progress fast – the 2022 Carema, still in barrel, looks very promising at this moment. The Cella Grande monastery and restaurant overlooks the beautiful lake Viverone.
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