Alta Langa's Visionary Trio
Cascina Elena was born in 2020 from the meeting of three like-minded souls in a small natural amphitheater in Rocchetta Belbo, Alta Langa — the wild, forested heart of Piedmont. Filippo De Vito brought a rich background in Roman and Tuscan winemaking. Peter Cooper and Elaine Scialo brought a New Yorker's energy and a deep respect for the land. Together, they found 4.5 hectares of vineyards perched between embankments and dry stone walls at 420–530 metres above sea level, surrounded by forest on all sides. They immediately converted the vineyards to organic, choosing light machines to work with, respecting the delicate balance of these hills. The cellar was designed to blend into the surrounding landscape — a stunning piece of sustainable architecture that has won international awards including the IN/ARCHITETTURA 2023 Best New Construction in Piedmont and the BigSEE Tourism Design Award 2022. Inside, they let the fermentations take their course without intervening with additives or adjuvants. Only small doses of sulfur before bottling. In 2021, they built a theater in the woods and vineyards — a space where they promote cultural events at km0, bringing music, art, and community to this remote corner of Piedmont. Their wines are honest, vintage-driven expressions of Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Nebbiolo, and Moscato — unfiltered, alive, and deeply connected to one of Italy's most beautiful and overlooked wine regions.
The Amphitheater That Brought Them Together
Cascina Elena was founded in 2020 by Filippo De Vito, Peter Cooper, and Elaine Scialo — a trio united by a shared vision of wine, land, and community. Filippo brought deep winemaking experience from Rome and Tuscany, where he had honed his craft in some of Italy's most respected cellars. Peter and Elaine, originally from New York, brought an outsider's perspective and an unwavering commitment to sustainability and authenticity. Their paths converged in Alta Langa, a wild and forested sub-region of Piedmont that sits at the southern edge of the Langhe, where the hills roll toward Liguria and the sea [^194^][^198^].
They found their home in Rocchetta Belbo, a tiny village in a natural amphitheater surrounded by woods. The vineyards they acquired — 4.5 hectares between embankments and dry stone walls — had been farmed conventionally. The trio immediately converted them to organic, choosing light machines to work the delicate slopes, respecting the fragile balance of the hillside ecosystem. They understood that Alta Langa is not Barolo or Barbaresco; it is something wilder, more remote, and in many ways more honest. The soils are a mix of clay, limestone, and sandstone, with a freshness and acidity that sets them apart from the warmer, more famous appellations to the north [^194^][^204^].
From the beginning, Cascina Elena was conceived as more than a winery. It was a cultural project, a community hub, a place where wine, art, and nature intersect. In 2021, they built a theater in the woods — an open-air amphitheater among the vines where they host concerts, performances, and cultural events at km0 (zero-kilometre, locally sourced). The idea was simple: if they were privileged to live in such a beautiful place, why not share it with others? The theater has become a symbol of their philosophy — wine as a connector, land as a stage, community as the audience [^194^][^200^].
"We are privileged to live in a wonderful place, why not share it with others?"
— Cascina Elena
Rocchetta Belbo, Alta Langa
Cascina Elena's 4.5 hectares sit in a natural amphitheater in Rocchetta Belbo, at 420–530 metres above sea level — some of the highest vineyards in the Langa. The Alta Langa is a distinct sub-region of Piedmont, characterised by its wild, forested landscape, cooler temperatures, and a freshness that sets it apart from the more famous Barolo and Barbaresco zones to the north. Here, the hills are steeper, the woods denser, and the sense of isolation more profound. The vineyards are surrounded by forest on all sides, creating a natural biodiversity corridor that enhances the health of the vines and the complexity of the wines [^194^][^204^].
The soils are a mix of clay, limestone, and sandstone — the classic Tortonian and Helvetian marls that define the Langhe, but with a higher proportion of sand and limestone than in Barolo, giving the wines a distinctive mineral freshness and aromatic lift. The vines are planted to Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Nebbiolo, and Moscato — varieties that thrive in the cool, high-altitude climate. Chardonnay and Pinot Noir are the backbone of the estate, used for both still wines and the traditional method sparkling wines that have made Alta Langa famous. Nebbiolo adds structure and depth, while Moscato — in its dry, non-DOCG form — offers a completely different expression of Piedmont's most famous aromatic grape [^194^][^198^].
Farming is organic and low-intervention. No synthetic chemicals, no herbicides, no heavy machinery. The trio uses light equipment to work the steep slopes, hand-harvests into small crates, and maintains grass cover between rows to promote biodiversity. The dry stone walls that define the vineyard boundaries are not merely scenic — they are part of the terroir, creating microclimates, retaining heat, and providing habitat for insects and small animals. "We immediately converted the vineyards to organic, choosing light machines to work with respecting the delicate balance of these hills," as they describe it. The result is a vineyard that feels more like a garden than a farm — alive, diverse, and deeply integrated into the surrounding forest [^194^].
The vineyards sit in a natural bowl-shaped depression surrounded by forest, creating a unique microclimate. Cool air drainage at night, warm sun exposure during the day, and the thermal mass of the dry stone walls create ideal conditions for slow, even ripening. The amphitheater shape also provides natural protection from wind and frost — a gift of geology that the trio has embraced and enhanced.
The vineyards are defined by ancient dry stone walls — "muretti a secco" — that create terraces, retain heat, and provide habitat for insects, lizards, and birds. These walls are not merely structural; they are part of the ecosystem, creating microclimates within the vineyard and contributing to the complexity of the wines. Biodiversity is encouraged at every level.
The winery building was designed to blend into the landscape as seamlessly as possible. Built with environmentally friendly materials, water recycling systems, and solar panels, it has won the IN/ARCHITETTURA 2023 Best New Construction in Piedmont and the BigSEE Tourism Design Award 2022. The cellar is not just functional — it is a statement of intent, a building that respects the soul of the place.
In 2021, Cascina Elena built an open-air amphitheater among the vines and forest — a space for concerts, performances, and cultural events at km0. The theater embodies the domaine's philosophy: wine is not just a product, but a reason for gathering, celebration, and community. It has become a destination for visitors from across Italy and beyond.
Listen to the Vineyard, Let the Vintage Speak
Cascina Elena's cellar work is defined by a simple principle: listen. "Eschewing rigid formulas, Cascina Elena prioritizes listening to the vineyard, allowing the unique vintage to dictate the winemaking process," as one importer noted. This means no recipe, no standardised approach, no forcing the wine into a predetermined shape. Each vintage is different — the weather, the fruit, the energy of the year — and the wine is allowed to express that difference honestly [^198^].
The approach is organic and low-intervention. Fermentations are carried out with indigenous yeasts, without chemical additives or oenological adjuvants. The wines are unfiltered, allowing the natural sediment and lees to remain in the bottle — a choice that preserves texture, complexity, and the living quality of the wine. Only small doses of sulfur are added before bottling, when necessary for stability. The goal is not perfection in the conventional sense; it is honesty. "Our desire is to allow the terroir to be in the bottle, without flaws or corrections," they say — and that means accepting the wine as it is, vintage by vintage, plot by plot [^194^][^200^].
The range reflects the diversity of the Alta Langa terroir. Chardonnay is vinified both as a crisp, mineral still wine and as a base for traditional method sparkling — the Alta Langa DOCG that has become the region's signature. Pinot Noir adds structure and red fruit to the sparkling cuvées, and is also bottled as a light, vibrant red. Nebbiolo — the grape of Barolo — finds a completely different expression here, lighter and more aromatic, with the freshness of altitude rather than the power of the Tortonian slopes. And Moscato, usually associated with sweet Asti Spumante, is reimagined as a dry, savoury white that challenges every preconception of the variety [^198^][^204^].
The Architecture of Respect
Cascina Elena's winery is not just a building — it is a manifesto. Designed with the aim of minimising impact on the Alta Langa landscape, it incorporates water recycling systems, solar panels, and environmentally friendly materials throughout. The structure blends into the hillside, its wooden and stone exterior echoing the dry stone walls of the vineyards. Inside, the cellar is arranged to allow gravity-flow winemaking, reducing the need for pumping and preserving the integrity of the grapes. The building has won prestigious architectural awards — the IN/ARCHITETTURA 2023 Best New Construction in Piedmont and the BigSEE Tourism Design Award 2022 — but for Filippo, Peter, and Elaine, the real prize is the harmony between building and land. "The design of a building intended for a biodynamic winery was an opportunity to find solutions that would minimize the impact on the Alta Langa landscape," as the architects noted. This is wine made with respect — for the vine, for the vintage, for the place, and for the future.
Community & Culture
Cascina Elena has rapidly become one of the most exciting new names in Italian natural wine — not just for the quality of their bottles, but for the completeness of their vision. They are not merely winemakers; they are cultural producers, community builders, and environmental stewards. The theater in the woods, the km0 events, the architectural awards, and the unwavering commitment to organic farming all point to a domaine that sees wine as part of a larger ecosystem — social, ecological, and artistic [^198^][^200^].
What sets Cascina Elena apart is the combination of Italian tradition and international perspective. Filippo's Roman and Tuscan background brings a deep understanding of Italian winemaking heritage, while Peter and Elaine's New York roots inject energy, openness, and a global outlook. This fusion is reflected in everything they do: the wines are unmistakably Piedmontese, but the approach feels contemporary, inclusive, and forward-looking. They are part of a new generation of Italian winemakers who are redefining what "natural wine" means in a country with such deep conventional traditions [^198^].
Their wines are exported to the US, Europe, and beyond, with a growing following among natural wine bars, restaurants, and collectors who appreciate both the quality and the story. But Cascina Elena is not chasing export markets or critical scores. They are building something local and lasting — a community around their amphitheater, a reputation based on integrity, and a legacy of land stewardship that will outlast any vintage. As they put it: "Our desire is to allow the terroir to be in the bottle, without flaws or corrections." And that is exactly what they deliver — wine that tastes of Alta Langa, honest and alive [^194^][^204^].
"Our desire is to allow the terroir to be in the bottle, without flaws or corrections."
— Cascina Elena
The Cascina Elena Range
All wines are made from organically farmed estate fruit, hand-harvested into small crates. Indigenous yeast fermentation without chemical additives or oenological adjuvants. Unfiltered, with only small doses of sulfur before bottling when necessary. The range reflects the diversity of Alta Langa: Chardonnay and Pinot Noir for still whites and traditional method sparkling, Nebbiolo for light reds, and Moscato reimagined as a dry wine. Production is small and vintage-variable — each year dictates its own expression [^194^][^198^].