Italy's Father of Biodynamic Viticulture
Cascina degli Ulivi is one of the most important natural wine estates in the world — a 24-hectare biodynamic farm in the Gavi zone of Piedmont, founded in 1977 by Stefano Bellotti, who inherited a tiny abandoned family farm at age 18 and transformed it into a self-sufficient polycultural organism that has inspired a generation of winemakers. Largely responsible for the legitimisation of biodynamic viticulture and the eschewing of modern oenology since the early 1980s, Stefano was Italy's Pierre Overnoy — a visionary who preached holism in a world determined to categorise everything with science. The farm is a true polyculture: vines, vegetables, livestock, cereals, beehives, pastures, fruit trees, milk, bread, and cheese — all raised and produced on the premises. An agriturismo is attached, where practically everything served is grown on site. The estate has been Demeter certified biodynamic since 1985, and since the 2003 vintage, all wines have been bottled without filtration or added sulfur. Stefano fought tirelessly against the commodification of nature and agriculture, declassifying his wines from Gavi DOCG when bureaucratic rules punished his unfiltered, unadulterated wines. He passed away in September 2018, in the middle of harvest, at age 59. Today, his daughter Ilaria continues his work, and the indescribable energy of the place — where man, beast, and plant co-exist in mutual respect and harmony — remains undiminished. This is not merely winemaking; it is a philosophy of life, a model for how agriculture can and should be.
From Abandoned Farm to Biodynamic Beacon
The story of Cascina degli Ulivi begins in 1977, when 18-year-old Stefano Bellotti inherited a tiny, abandoned family farm in Novi Ligure, in the hills between Alessandria and Genoa in southern Piedmont. His grandfather Felice had purchased the property in 1936, but by the time Stefano took over, it was more or less derelict — less than one hectare of vines, no agricultural infrastructure, and a landscape that had been left to wildness. Stefano, a city boy from Genoa with no formal agricultural training, saw not abandonment but potential. He decided to stay and harvest the grapes instead of returning to the city — a decision that would reshape Italian viticulture.
Gavi, one of Italy's foremost white wine denominations and one of the first to be granted DOCG status, is produced entirely from the Cortese grape — an indigenous variety to the southern Piedmont province of Alessandria. After the phylloxera epidemic of the early 1900s exterminated the more widely planted red Dolcetto vines, the majority of replanting was made with white Cortese to satisfy demand from nearby Genoa and Liguria. During the 1960s, Gavi enjoyed tremendous success, but over the next twenty years, competition, higher yield allowances, and less scrutinous winemaking led to a glut of commercial and uninspired Gavi. Stefano arrived at a moment of crisis — and chose a radically different path.
Through his own empirical observations, Stefano progressively came to eschew chemicals in his vineyards. By 1981, he was working organically — very much in isolation, as there was no organic movement at the time, no exemplars to follow. In 1984, he introduced biodynamic methods, eventually leading him to the philosophies of Rudolf Steiner. He became the president of Renaissance Italia and a member of Italy's Triple A artisan wine organisation. The estate grew from less than one hectare to 24 hectares of vines, plus 10 hectares of arable land, 1 hectare of vegetables, 1,000 fruit trees, cattle, and other farm animals. What began as a derelict property became a self-sufficient organism — a model for how agriculture can function in harmony with nature.
Stefano's battles with bureaucracy became legendary. In 2008, he planted fruit trees amongst the vines in his Filagnotti vineyard — a practice of biodiversity that the authorities decreed as violating protocol, because it meant the land could no longer officially be considered a vineyard. Undeterred, and refusing EU subsidies for the land, Stefano declassified Filagnotti as Vino da Tavola. In 2015, his entry-level Gavi was refused the appellation due to its colour — a direct result of making an unfiltered, unadulterated product, while most Gavis are heavily filtered and pale. With no other choice, he renamed it "Ivag" (Gavi spelled backwards). By this point, his reputation was cemented, and his customers bought the wine on its own merit. In 2018, Stefano passed away in the middle of harvest, at age 59, from pancreatic cancer. Today, his daughter Ilaria continues his work, and the energy of the place — the indescribable vitality that visitors feel on every visit and with every sip — remains undiminished.
"The agricultural product is a flower that blossoms from the encounter of love between the creativity of nature and that of man."
— Stefano Bellotti
Red Clay & Limestone, Polyculture & Self-Sufficiency
Cascina degli Ulivi's vineyards are situated in the Tassarolo hills, in the Gavi zone of southern Piedmont, near Novi Ligure. The soils are primarily red clay and limestone — a combination that provides both structure and minerality, body and freshness. The red clay retains moisture and imparts a distinctive earthy, iron-rich character to the wines. The limestone adds brightness, acidity, and a chalky, mineral backbone. Together, these soils create wines of remarkable depth and complexity, particularly for the Cortese grape, which expresses itself here with a tension between richness and precision that is unique in Italy.
But Cascina degli Ulivi is not merely a vineyard — it is a polycultural organism. The estate comprises 24 hectares of vines, 10 hectares of arable land, 1 hectare of vegetables, 1,000 fruit trees, honey bees, ducks, geese, cattle, donkeys, chickens, and horses. There is a vegetable garden, grain grown for fresh pasta, an orchard, and an agriturismo where practically everything served is raised and grown on the premises. Stefano's philosophy was that self-sufficiency makes sense — "If you want good humans you need good earth. We are what we eat, and drink. Because the food we eat originates out of the earth it makes sense to be kind to the earth. Modern farming has treated the soil with violence and hatred. It is an arrogant, short-sighted way of working."
Farming is biodynamic (Demeter certified since 1985), with a deep commitment to biodiversity and soil health. Stefano developed a rotation system where certain rows of vines were left alone to give the soil the opportunity to revitalise itself. Cover crops of legumes, crucifers, grasses, and buckwheat are grown between the vines and ploughed in as green manure. Horn manure 500 is used twice yearly — in autumn on the vineyard soil and cover crops, and again in spring when the cover crops are ploughed in. Horn silica 501 is sprayed 2–3 times at the end of summer. Only 2kg/ha of copper is used per year. No trimming of vines. The goal is not to dominate nature but to collaborate with it — to create a farm where every element supports every other element.
The varieties reflect both the Gavi tradition and Stefano's experimental spirit. Cortese is the backbone — the grape that defines Gavi and shows its finest expression in these hills. But Stefano also worked with Barbera, Dolcetto, Riesling, Verdea, Bosco, Timorasso, Moscatella, Sauvignon Blanc, and Traminer — a extraordinary diversity that speaks to his curiosity and his refusal to be bound by appellation rules. The vines are hand-harvested in small boxes, and only indigenous yeasts are used for fermentation. The health of the vines is immediately apparent to the eye — walk through the vineyards and you see vitality, biodiversity, and balance that is unmistakable.
Red clay retains moisture, imparts earthy iron-rich character. Limestone adds brightness, acidity, chalky mineral backbone. The geological signature of Gavi — structure and freshness in perfect tension. Cortese's finest expression.
24ha vines, 10ha arable, 1ha vegetables, 1,000 fruit trees, bees, ducks, geese, cattle, donkeys, chickens, horses. Grain for pasta, vegetable garden, orchard. Agriturismo serving only estate produce. Self-sufficiency as philosophy. Every element supports every other.
Demeter certified since 1985. Horn manure 500 twice yearly. Horn silica 501 2–3 times. Cover crops ploughed as green manure. 2kg/ha copper only. No trimming. Rotation system for soil revitalisation. Collaboration with nature, not domination.
Cortese (Gavi), Barbera, Dolcetto, Riesling, Verdea, Bosco, Timorasso, Moscatella, Sauvignon Blanc, Traminer. Indigenous and experimental. Curiosity over convention. Hand-harvested in small boxes. Indigenous yeasts only. Vitality visible to the eye.
Zero Sulfur, Unfiltered & Indigenous Yeasts
At Cascina degli Ulivi, the cellar philosophy is one of absolute purity and non-intervention. Since the 2003 vintage, all wines have been bottled without filtration and without added sulfur — a radical commitment that requires impeccable fruit quality, immaculate cellar hygiene, and deep trust in the natural stability of biodynamically grown grapes. Stefano believed that "humans don't make wines: microorganisms do. This is a sacred world we don't understand anything about!" His role was not to impose upon the wine but to create the conditions for it to express itself.
The techniques are precise and demanding:
Harvest & Reception: All grapes are hand-harvested in small boxes and carefully sorted. The harvest is a family and community affair — Ilaria, the team, and often friends and visitors work together in the vines. The small boxes prevent bruising and preserve the integrity of the berries. Only the healthiest, most concentrated fruit enters the cellar.
Whites: Cortese and other white varieties are gently pressed and fermented with indigenous yeasts in large, successively-used barrels of traditional provenance — some as large as 4,000 litres. The use of oak is limited to these neutral vessels, which provide gentle oxygenation without adding wood flavour. The whites are never filtered, never sulfured, and never manipulated. The result is wines of extraordinary texture and complexity — oxidative, nutty, and profoundly mineral.
Reds: Barbera, Dolcetto, and other red varieties are fermented in large oak botti with indigenous yeasts. Maceration is gentle, extraction is moderate, and the focus is on preserving freshness and terroir expression. The wines are aged in large, old barrels — never new wood — and bottled without fining or filtration.
Sulfur & Filtration: Zero added sulfur since 2003. No filtration. These interventions have been completely omitted to produce the purest expression of the land. The wines' natural stability comes from healthy biodynamic fruit, clean spontaneous fermentation, and the natural acidity of the grapes. This is winemaking without a safety net — and it requires absolute confidence in the vineyard.
Ageing & Bottling: Wines are aged for extended periods in large, neutral vessels — concrete, old oak, and occasionally acacia wood. The focus is on slow, natural evolution. Bottling is done by hand, in small batches, with meticulous attention to lunar cycles and biodynamic timing. The result is wines that are alive, evolving, and utterly distinctive.
The portfolio spans whites, reds, rosés, and sweet wines — each with its own story of declassification, defiance, and devotion to terroir:
"Semplicemente Bellotti Bianco": The entry-level white — 100% Cortese from estate vines. Tastes like a Jura wine that has gone to Italy and been naturalised. Medium yellow, rich butter pound cake, nut and citrus oils, floral lilies, dry spice, quince, walnuts, and Jura-like notes. Bitter walnut and churned butter aftertaste. The wine that introduced the world to Stefano's style.
"Ivag" (Gavi spelled backwards): The declassified Gavi — refused the appellation in 2015 because its unfiltered, natural colour did not conform to the DOC's expectations of pale, transparent wine. Made from Cortese, it is a wine of extraordinary purity and texture — the anti-Gavi that proves how compromised the appellation had become.
"Filagnotti di Tassarolo": The single vineyard bottling from the estate's best grapes, planted on red clay and limestone. Southwest-facing, 100% Cortese. Fermented in old acacia botti with no racking or sulfur. Declassified to Vino da Tavola in 2008 when Stefano planted fruit trees amongst the vines — a biodiversity practice that the authorities ruled as non-compliant. Acacia wood, clean, good depth and minerality. The wine that started the declassification revolution.
"Mounbè": A red wine, likely Barbera-dominant. Profound nose, complex, driven by black fruit aromas, spices, and vanilla. Fleshy, juicy, with beautiful body balanced by acidity, and a long finish. The name is local dialect — a wine of power and grace.
"Étoile du Raisin": In extraordinary vintages, Stefano changed the name from Mounbè to "Star of the Grape" in French. The natural harmony of the wine was so remarkable that it deserved its own constellation. After years of aging, the wine was full of vitality, as if dancing in rhythm.
"Nibiô Terre Bianche": Made from Dolcetto ("Nibiô" in local dialect). Rustic and wild in its youth, yet becomes an elegant gentleman as the years pass. Undergrowth, leather, black fruits. Tannins soften but remain well structured. A wine to meditate on.
"La Merla Bianca": A white named after the blackbird — Sauvignon Blanc and Traminer. Two highly aromatic varieties, masterfully controlled oxidative style. Ripe fruits, yellow fruits, minerals, dried fruits, and honey. Rich, complex, intense, with a long finish. A wine crafted for the dinner table.
"C'era Una Volta Il Passato": A passito-style sweet wine — Stefano had to call it "passato" (past) because the authorities claimed his 100% Moscato did not conform with DOC regulations. Rich with flavours of figs and honey, not too sweet. The dessert wine of a rebel.
"Semplicemente Rosato": A rosé blend — Merlot, Syrah, and Moscato Bianco. Direct pressing, biodynamic farming, iron clay soils. Fresh, floral, and utterly distinctive. The playful side of Cascina degli Ulivi.
"Filagnotti di Tassarolo" — "Acacia, Red Clay & The Wine That Defied Bureaucracy"
The "Filagnotti di Tassarolo" is Cascina degli Ulivi's most celebrated and controversial cuvée — a 100% Cortese from the estate's finest vineyard, planted on red clay and limestone in the Tassarolo hills, that was declassified from Gavi DOCG to Vino da Tavola because Stefano dared to plant fruit trees amongst the vines. This is the wine that encapsulates everything Stefano Bellotti stood for: terroir expression over bureaucratic compliance, biodiversity over monoculture, and truth over convenience.
The grapes come from the Filagnotti vineyard — southwest-facing, on red, acid soil, with the estate's oldest and healthiest Cortese vines. The vineyard is a model of biodynamic viticulture: cover crops of legumes, crucifers, grasses, and buckwheat grow between the rows; horn manure 500 is applied twice yearly; horn silica 501 is sprayed at summer's end; and fruit trees — cherry, apple, and others — are interspersed amongst the vines to promote biodiversity and soil health. This practice, which the authorities ruled as violating vineyard protocol, is precisely what makes the wine so vital and complex.
The grapes are hand-harvested in small boxes and gently pressed. Fermentation occurs spontaneously with indigenous yeasts in old acacia botti — large, neutral vessels that provide gentle oxygenation without adding wood flavour. There is no racking, no sulfur, no temperature control. Stefano monitored the fermentation but intervened only when absolutely necessary, allowing the wine to find its own path through the sacred world of microorganisms.
After fermentation, the wine ages in the same acacia botti for an extended period — 250-litre vessels with no racking or sulfur additions. The extended lees contact builds texture, complexity, and a distinctive nutty, oxidative character that is the hallmark of unfiltered, unsulfured white wine. The result is a wine of extraordinary purity and depth.
In the glass, it is deep gold with a slight haze — the unfiltered, living character immediately apparent. The nose is acacia wood, clean, with good depth and minerality. There are notes of green apple, apricot, wild herbs, and a distinct chalky, mineral undertone that speaks of the limestone beneath the red clay. The palate is medium to full-bodied, with vibrant acidity, a rich, textured mouthfeel from the lees, and a long, saline finish that invites contemplation. This is not the pale, filtered, anemic Gavi that the appellation demands; it is a wine of substance, of history, of defiance. It drinks beautifully after 30 minutes of air, and will reward 5–10 years of cellaring, evolving into something more honeyed, nutty, and profound. Serve at 12–14°C with roasted fish, aged cheeses, or simply as an apéritif that announces something extraordinary. ~$35–$50 / ~€30–€45.
The Cascina degli Ulivi Range
Ilaria Bellotti continues her father Stefano's legacy from the 24 hectares of Demeter-certified biodynamic vineyards in Novi Ligure, Gavi, Piedmont. All wines are hand-harvested in small boxes, spontaneously fermented with indigenous yeasts in large, successively-used barrels (some up to 4,000 litres), and bottled without filtration or added sulfur since 2003. The portfolio spans whites, reds, rosés, and sweet wines — many declassified from Gavi DOCG due to Stefano's refusal to compromise on unfiltered, natural wine. Prices are approximate and in USD/EUR.