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Photo credits: Pierangelo and Elisabetta Vacchetto Designer: Cindi Yaklich, Epicenter Creative

A Labor of Love: Wine Family Women of Piemonte
Whether you have visited or not, there is a book coming that any Piemonte lover will enjoy.  Like me, if you have been lucky enough to visit, you must daydream regularly about your return. What a beautiful land full of wonderful wines, food, and stories.

Piemonte in the evening, daydream material! (Photo credit: Pierangelo Vacchetto)

My friend, Suzanne Hoffman has devoted the last several years of her life capturing stories of the families, and especially of the women of the wine families of Piemonte. She is in the process of publishing her book, and she is running a Kickstarter campaign to fund an additional printing. This is your chance to be one of the first to get a copy of her book!

The famous Nebbia (fog) of Piemonte. (Photo credit: Pierangelo Vacchetto)

Piemonte is Special
Every wine region has its’ own unique story, and the Piemonte region is no different. One unique piece of the Piemonte story is that it hasn’t been dominated or taken over by rich outsiders and large estates. Many of the wineries have remained family owned and run operations, being passed down through multiple generations. In recent years, many of the family operations have been turned over to the next generation led by women, so appropriate for today.  Suzanne has focused her efforts on uncovering these stories.

Stories from 22 Wine Families

Stories from the Barolo Boys
During the 1980’s and 90’s, the wineries and families in the region underwent great change, and the process wasn’t always easy. Suzanne has uncovered many of the key stories in her book.  One of my favorites is the Altare family.  Elio Altare was one of the chief antagonists in the modernization of winemaking in the region.

Elio and Silvia Altare (photo credit: Elisabetta Vacchetto)

There’s much more to the story than just Elio as a young man of 25.  You’ll learn about it Lucia, his wife’s point of view.  You’ll also hear what has happened since then through the stories of his daughters Silvia and Elena.

Silvia, Lucia (mom), and Elena Altare. (photo credit: Elisabetta Vacchetto)

You can then continue on to others involved in the revolution, including Chiara Boschis (the female “Barolo Boy”!), Matteo Correggia, and of course, Bartolo Mascarello. Bartolo was the most vocal of the traditional producers, not happy about some of the changes being tried in the new generation.

You’ll be transported to this beautiful land through the photos. (photo credit: Pierangelo Vacchetto)

Stories to Tell
In addition to a history of the region and the family stories, the book is beautifully photographed. Photos of both the region and all the individual families will certainly transport you to this special corner of Italy.  Suzanne searched for a high quality publishing house, so I’m looking forward to seeing the actual photos in print!

Facts and Figures:

• 320 pages
• 9.25” x 11.5”
• 230 photos
• 22 family chapters
• 22 genealogies
• Printed in Verona, Italy by VeronaLibri

Want to find out more?  See Suzanne’s Kickstarter video here:

Disclaimer
Suzanne is a friend of mine, and I have been able to review an advance digital copy of her book.  I haven’t received any compensation for this post.  I backed her kickstarter and I hope you will too!

Photo credit: Pierangelo Vacchetto