Roero's Restless Grandson
Azienda Agricola Alberto Oggero was founded in 2009 by Alberto Oggero in Santo Stefano Roero, a steep-hilled village on the left bank of the Tanaro River — directly across from the famous Barolo and Barbaresco zones of Langhe. Born in 1985 in Canale, Alberto grew up following his grandfather Sandro through the family's small vineyards, learning self-sufficient farming by hand. When Sandro passed in 1999, Alberto studied viticulture in Alba, frustrated by Roero's obscurity beside its famous neighbours. At 24, he returned home, restored the old family carriage house and cellar by hand, and released his first wine a decade later. Today he farms 4.2 hectares across nine steep parcels in Santo Stefano Roero, Monteu Roero, and Canale — 25 to 100 year old Nebbiolo and Arneis vines on sandy-limestone soils from the ancient Pliocene-era Golfo Padano. Certified organic and a member of RAW WINE, Oggero's wines are unfiltered, naturally fermented, and low-sulfite (30–35 mg/L), emphasizing the bright, crunchy, fragrant personality that Roero's marine sands give to its native grapes. As part of the SoloRoero collective alongside Cascina Fornace and Valfaccenda, Alberto champions Roero's distinct identity with infectious energy and genuine passion for his home turf.
Grandfather Sandro's Legacy
Alberto Oggero was born in 1985 in Canale, a town in the heart of Roero, Piedmont. His grandfather, Sandro, was a simple and self-sufficient farmer who cultivated several small vineyards in Santo Stefano Roero. As a young boy, Alberto followed Sandro through the vines and cellar, spending every possible moment among the rows, learning the rhythms of the land by observation and participation. While his father and uncle chose different paths, Alberto's connection to the vineyards only deepened [^7^][^8^].
When Sandro passed away in 1999, Alberto was 14. The loss crystallised his purpose: he would study viticulture in Alba and return to restore what his grandfather had built. For ten years he worked the neglected plots and crumbling buildings by hand, experimenting, learning, and waiting. In 2009, at 24 years old, he released his first wine — a decade of quiet labour finally in bottle. The old family carriage house became the cellar. The steep parcels, some with vines planted 50, 80, even 100 years ago, became his canvas [^7^][^9^].
Alberto's frustration was never personal — it was territorial. Roero, with its sandy soils and steep hills, was being ignored while the world fixated on Barolo across the river. He set out to prove that Roero had its own voice, its own grapes, its own story. That mission led him to the SoloRoero collective, a collaboration with Cascina Fornace and Valfaccenda, and to a growing international following among natural wine drinkers who recognised the honesty in his bottles [^7^][^8^].
"When I finished my studies, I rolled up my sleeves and set up the old family business."
— Alberto Oggero
Nine Steep Parcels, Ancient Sands
Alberto farms 4.2 hectares across nine steep parcels in three communes: Santo Stefano Roero, Monteu Roero, and his home district of Canale. The vineyards are planted to Nebbiolo and Arneis, the two indigenous varieties that define Roero's identity. The vines range from 25 to 100 years old, including the historic Anime parcel with its ancient, traditionally trellised Nebbiolo — a living archive of how wine was made in this corner of Piedmont long before Barolo became a global brand [^7^][^8^].
The soils are the key to everything. Roero sits on the left bank of the Tanaro River, its hills shaped by extinct rivers that once drained an ancient sea known as the Golfo Padano. The result is sandy, limestone-rich soils — loose, soft, poor in nutrients but well oxygenated, hosting a rich biodiversity of microbial life. Good inclines of 40–50% with south-facing exposure ensure excellent drainage and sun exposure. These are not the dense Tortonian clays of Barolo; they are lighter, freer, and they give the wines a completely different character — bright, crunchy, fragrant, with a saline minerality that speaks of their marine origin [^8^][^9^].
Farming is certified organic. No synthetic pesticides, herbicides, or fertilizers. Only sulfur and copper are used, applied sparingly. The steep slopes make mechanisation impossible; everything is done by hand. Grass cover and wild herbs grow between rows, encouraging biodiversity. Yields are kept low — around 40 hl/ha — ensuring concentrated, expressive fruit. Specific sites like Sandro Caudana (280m, south-facing), Le Coste, Valle dei Lunghi, and the legendary Anime each contribute their own voice to the final wines [^7^].
Alberto's most treasured site, Anime holds Nebbiolo vines of 80 to 100 years old, trained on traditional trellising systems that have all but disappeared elsewhere. These vines are a living connection to Roero's pre-industrial past, producing tiny quantities of fruit with extraordinary concentration and complexity. The wine from Anime is Alberto at his most ambitious — structured, tannic, and built for ageing.
The Pliocene-era Golfo Padano left behind soils of marine sand and limestone — light, well-drained, and rich in microbial biodiversity. These soils give Nebbiolo a bright, crunchy personality and Arneis a mineral sapidity that is impossible to replicate on clay. The result is wines of elegance and transparency, where terroir speaks more loudly than winemaking technique.
The nine parcels are steep — inclines of 40 to 50 percent that rule out any machinery. Pruning, tying, canopy management, and harvesting into small crates are all done by hand. This is not romanticism; it is the physical reality of farming Roero's hillsides. And it means Alberto knows every vine, every row, every shift in the vintage, with an intimacy that mechanised vineyards cannot match.
Alongside Cascina Fornace and Valfaccenda, Alberto is part of SoloRoero — a collective of producers dedicated to asserting Roero's identity against the fame of Barolo and Barbaresco. The group shares knowledge, markets, and a common philosophy: that Roero's sandy soils and native grapes deserve recognition on their own terms, not as an afterthought to the Langhe.
Honesty in the Vineyard, Honesty in the Cellar
Alberto's winemaking is defined by a simple contract: what the vineyard gives honestly, the cellar must preserve honestly. All wines are naturally fermented with indigenous yeasts — no selected strains, no temperature control, no enzymes, no additives. The goal is not to shape the wine but to reveal what the sandy soils and old vines have already expressed [^7^][^8^].
Whites ferment in stainless steel or concrete, often with 50% skin maceration for 3 days — a technique that adds texture, tannin, and complexity to Arneis without sacrificing its mineral backbone. Aging lasts 10–12 months in Slavonian oak or concrete. Reds undergo whole-cluster fermentation for 8–14 days in concrete or steel, then age 12–24 months in used oak or concrete. Nothing is fined. Nothing is filtered. Sulfur is minimal — 30–35 mg/L, added only at bottling when necessary — roughly one-tenth of conventional levels [^7^][^9^].
Alberto's approach challenges conventions. He ages Arneis, a variety usually consumed young, proving it can develop texture and complexity with time. He makes Nebbiolo that is drinkable early, countering the Barolo orthodoxy of decades of ageing. The result is wines that combine natural wine vibrancy with genuine Roero typicity — savory, soulful, and unmistakably of their place [^7^].
The Carriage House Cellar
Alberto's cellar is the restored family carriage house — a modest, functional space that reflects his practical philosophy. Concrete tanks and stainless steel do the heavy lifting; used Slavonian oak adds gentle structure without masking terroir. There is no high-tech equipment, no temperature-controlled precision, no laboratory analysis driving decisions. What happens in the cellar is an extension of what happens in the vineyard: observation, patience, and trust in natural processes. The carriage house is not a statement of rustic charm; it is a working space where a young winemaker, now in his third decade of life, continues the work his grandfather began. The drum set that greets visitors is a reminder that wine, for Alberto, is about joy as much as it is about rigour.
Beaming & Bounding Across the Vines
Alberto Oggero has become one of the most exciting young producers in Piedmont — not through marketing or volume, but through sheer energy, integrity, and an infectious pride in his home turf. Visitors describe him literally beaming and bounding across his old vineyards, pointing out the nuances of each parcel with the enthusiasm of someone who has never lost the wonder of a boy following his grandfather through the rows [^8^].
With only ~16,000 bottles across 5–6 cuvées annually, demand consistently outstrips supply. Roughly 50–60% is exported to Europe, the US, and Australia, with importers like MCF Rare Wine and Different Drop championing his cause. RAW WINE membership has amplified his profile among natural wine communities, but Alberto's appeal is broader — he speaks to anyone who values transparency, terroir, and the underdog story of a region refusing to be overshadowed [^7^][^9^].
What sets Alberto apart is the combination of deep local knowledge and restless ambition. He knows every vine in his nine parcels, but he is also constantly experimenting — with skin contact on Arneis, with whole-cluster Nebbiolo, with different vessels and ageing regimes. The result is a portfolio that evolves vintage by vintage, never settling into formula, always searching for a more honest expression of Roero's sandy soul [^7^].
"The goal is to create wines that combine drinkability with a strong expression of terroir, savory and soulful renditions of Arneis and Nebbiolo unique to the Roero."
— Alberto Oggero
The Alberto Oggero Range
All wines are made from certified organic estate fruit, hand-harvested from 25–100 year old vines on steep sandy-limestone slopes. Indigenous yeast fermentation without temperature control, fining, or filtration. Minimal sulfur (30–35 mg/L) added only at bottling when necessary. The range focuses on Roero's two native grapes — Nebbiolo and Arneis — with cuvées that explore different sites, vessels, and techniques. Production is small and highly sought-after [^7^][^8^].