Barbaresco's Quiet Conscience
Cascina Alberta is a small, family-run organic winery in Treiso, one of the four villages of the Barbaresco DOCG zone in Piedmont's Langhe. Founded in 1979 when the first Nebbiolo vineyards were registered for Barbaresco production, the estate is now led by brothers Francesco and Luca Guermani. Spanning 19 hectares of contiguous land — 9 under vine, the rest woodland and hazelnut groves — they farm Nebbiolo, Barbera, and Riesling on the white marl and clay-limestone soils that define this corner of the Langhe. Certified organic and committed to low-intervention practices, they pursue sustainable viticulture without pesticides or chemical weed killers, wanting their vineyards to be gardens. In the cellar, winemaking is traditional and restrained: long fermentations, extended ageing in large neutral oak, minimal manipulation. The historic farmhouse has been thoughtfully restored into an agriturismo where visitors can stay, taste, and experience the rhythms of a working organic estate. Their wines — Barbaresco from the Giacone and Serragrilli crus, Barbera d'Alba, Langhe Nebbiolo, and a distinctive Riesling — are true and sincere, able to fully tell the story of a small Langa reality.
From Contratto Roots to Guermani Hands
Cascina Alberta's history begins in 1979, when the first Nebbiolo vineyards were registered for Barbaresco production on this site in Treiso. The property was previously owned by Giuseppe Contratto, of the historic Contratto sparkling wine house in Canelli, and the name "Alberta" carries forward that legacy. Today, the estate is in the hands of brothers Francesco and Luca Guermani, who have transformed the historic farm into one of the most quietly compelling organic producers in the Barbaresco zone [^27^][^29^].
Treiso sits at the southern edge of the Barbaresco DOCG, a village of steep hills and white marl soils that gives wines of elegance and finesse — lighter in structure than Barolo, but with a perfume and precision that is unmistakably Langhe. The Guermani brothers farm 9 hectares of vineyards across 19 hectares of contiguous land, surrounded by woodland and hazelnut groves that create a natural biodiversity corridor. Their approach is not about making wines to impress critics; it is about making wines that honestly reflect this specific place, these specific vines, and the rhythms of organic farming [^15^][^20^].
The historic farmhouse at the centre of the estate has been restored into an agriturismo — a place where visitors can stay, eat, and taste. This is not a commercial afterthought; it is integral to the Guermanis' philosophy. Wine, for them, is part of a larger ecosystem of hospitality, food, and land stewardship. The property overlooks the Giacone cru, one of their most prized vineyard sites, and the terrace where tastings begin offers views that explain, without words, why this corner of Piedmont matters [^15^][^33^].
"We want our vineyards to be gardens."
— Cascina Alberta
Treiso, White Marl & Clay-Limestone
Cascina Alberta's 9 hectares of vineyards sit in Treiso, the southernmost of the four Barbaresco communes (alongside Barbaresco, Neive, and Alba). The soils here are a distinctive mix of white marl (marne bianche) and clay-limestone — lighter and more calcareous than the Tortonian clays of Barolo, giving Nebbiolo a more aromatic, less tannic expression. The hills are steep, the exposures varied, and the microclimate moderated by altitude and proximity to the Tanaro River [^15^][^20^].
The vines are old — 40 to 60 years — and planted to Nebbiolo, Barbera, and Riesling. Nebbiolo dominates, as it must in Barbaresco, but the Guermanis also cultivate Barbera for their Barbera d'Alba and a small parcel of Riesling — an unusual choice in the Langhe that produces a crisp, mineral white of surprising character. The vineyards are certified organic: no synthetic pesticides, no chemical herbicides, no mineral fertilizers. Grasses and wildflowers grow between rows, insects and birds thrive, and the soil is protected as the estate's most vital resource [^18^][^22^].
Key vineyard sites include the Giacone cru — a MGA (Menzione Geografica Aggiuntiva) that produces some of the estate's most structured Barbaresco — and Serragrilli, another named site that contributes finesse and aromatic lift. The Marne Blanche parcel, with its white marl soils, gives a Barbaresco of particular elegance and transparency. Each site is farmed according to its own needs, harvested by hand into small crates, and vinified separately to preserve its distinct voice [^28^][^31^].
One of Treiso's most recognised MGAs, the Giacone vineyard sits on white marl and clay-limestone soils at elevation, giving Nebbiolo of structure, perfume, and ageing potential. The Guermanis' Barbaresco Giacone is their flagship — a wine of crushed rose petals, wild strawberry, and orange peel, with the tight, close-grained tannins and bright acidity that define great Treiso Nebbiolo.
The soils of Treiso are distinct from Barolo's Tortonian clays. White marl (marne bianche) and limestone give the wines a lighter body, more aromatic lift, and a saline minerality that is unmistakable. These soils, combined with the steep hills and careful organic farming, produce Nebbiolo that is elegant rather than powerful — fragrant, precise, and deeply site-specific.
Cascina Alberta is certified organic, with no synthetic pesticides, herbicides, or chemical fertilizers used in the vineyards. The Guermanis want their vineyards to be gardens — places of biodiversity, beauty, and balance. Grasses grow between rows, wild herbs attract pollinators, and the health of the soil is prioritised above yields. This is farming for the long term, not the quarterly report.
The historic farmhouse has been restored into a warm, inviting agriturismo with simple, clean rooms and a spectacular terrace overlooking the vineyards. Visitors can stay overnight, enjoy farm-fresh breakfasts, and participate in guided tastings that include cellar visits and vineyard walks. For the Guermanis, hospitality is not separate from winemaking — it is part of the same philosophy of sharing place and purpose.
Traditional & Restrained, Site Character First
Cascina Alberta's cellar work is defined by restraint. Winemaking is traditional — long fermentations with indigenous yeasts, extended ageing in large neutral oak casks, minimal manipulation. The goal is not to impose a style but to allow the site character of each vineyard to speak. As one importer noted, the approach is "traditional and restrained, with long fermentations, extended aging in large neutral oak, and minimal manipulation, allowing site character to shine" [^21^].
The Guermanis use large Slavonian oak botti — the classic vessels of traditional Piedmontese winemaking — which add gentle structure without masking terroir. Fermentations are long and slow, extracting colour and tannin gradually rather than aggressively. There is no temperature control pushed to extremes, no selected yeasts, no enzymes, no additives. The wines are not filtered, preserving their natural texture and complexity. Sulfur is used sparingly, at levels well below conventional norms [^22^][^24^].
What emerges from this approach is wine of clarity and honesty. The Barbaresco Giacone offers aromas of oyster shell, botanical herb, and camphor, with tight, close-grained tannins and bright acidity on the racy palate [^23^]. The Barbera d'Alba is a fruit-forward, food-friendly red with the variety's signature bright acidity. The Langhe Nebbiolo captures the essence of young Nebbiolo — fragrant, approachable, and deeply satisfying. And the Riesling, an outlier in the Langhe, delivers crisp minerality and aromatic intensity that speaks of the white marl soils [^13^][^19^].
The Garden Philosophy
Cascina Alberta's guiding principle — "We want our vineyards to be gardens" — is more than a slogan. It is a declaration of intent that shapes every decision on the estate. A garden is not a factory; it is a place of beauty, diversity, and patience. The Guermanis do not farm for maximum yield or commercial efficiency. They farm for soil health, for biodiversity, for the long-term vitality of a place that has been producing wine since 1979. The hazelnut groves that surround the vineyards, the woodland that frames the property, and the wildflowers that grow between the rows are not obstacles to production — they are part of the garden. This philosophy extends to the cellar, where restraint and tradition serve the same purpose: to let the garden speak through the wine, vintage by vintage, without interference or artifice.
A Small Langa Reality
Cascina Alberta occupies a unique position in the Barbaresco landscape. It is not a large, historic estate with centuries of prestige. It is not a new, avant-garde producer chasing natural wine trends. It is something rarer: a small, family-run organic farm that makes honest wine from old vines on distinctive soils, and invites visitors to share in that honesty through hospitality and direct connection [^15^][^20^].
The Guermanis' wines are exported to the US, Europe, and beyond, with importers like Astor Wines and Champion Wine Cellars championing their cause. But the heart of Cascina Alberta remains local. The agriturismo draws visitors from across Italy and the world, who come for the views, the food, the warmth of the welcome, and the wines that taste unmistakably of Treiso. Reviews consistently praise the property's charm, the staff's passion, and the intensity of the tasting experience [^15^][^33^].
What the Guermanis offer is a complete experience — not just a bottle, but a place. The winding streets of Treiso, the white marl soils, the artfully shaped vineyards of the Giacone cru, the restored farmhouse with its spectacular terrace, and the barrel cellar where the wines age in quiet patience. This is Barbaresco as it was before global fame: intimate, agricultural, and deeply connected to the land. Francesco and Luca Guermani are not trying to reinvent Piedmontese wine. They are trying to preserve it — one organic vineyard, one traditional fermentation, one honest bottle at a time [^20^][^29^].
"Low-intervention wines true and sincere, able to fully tell the story of a small Langa reality."
— Cascina Alberta
The Cascina Alberta Range
All wines are made from certified organic estate fruit, hand-harvested from 40–60 year old vines on white marl and clay-limestone soils. Indigenous yeast fermentation, long macerations, extended ageing in large neutral Slavonian oak. Unfiltered, with minimal sulfur. The range spans Barbaresco from named crus, Barbera d'Alba, Langhe Nebbiolo, and a distinctive Riesling — each expressing the particular character of Treiso's soils and the Guermanis' restrained hand [^21^][^22^].