Roero's Sandy Soul
Cascina Fornace was founded in 2009 by brothers Enrico and Emanuele Cauda in Santo Stefano Roero, a rugged, steep-hilled corner of Piedmont's Roero region — the left bank of the Tanaro River, directly across from the famous Barolo and Barbaresco zones of Langhe. Enrico, a former mechanical designer driven by ecological passion, left city life to return to family vineyards. Emanuele joined him, bringing youthful energy and a shared commitment to minimal intervention. They farm roughly 3.5 hectares of 50–60 year old Nebbiolo and Arneis vines on sandy-limestone soils so steep they must be worked entirely by hand. The name "Fornace" honours their great-grandfather's brick kiln at the site (Frazione Sant'Antonio). Operating under organic principles and nearing biodynamic practices, they use no synthetic pesticides, herbicides, or mineral fertilizers — only sulfur and copper applied sparingly. In the cellar, fermentations are spontaneous with indigenous yeasts, unfined, unfiltered, without temperature control, and with sulfur levels roughly 10× below legal limits (22–42 mg/L). They are part of the SoloRoero collective alongside Valfaccenda and Alberto Oggero, championing Roero's identity against the fame of their Langhe neighbours. Their motto: "We place our trust in the 5 centimeters of humus that will form under the trees every thousand years."
From Brick Kiln to Vineyard
Cascina Fornace was born in 2009 when Enrico Cauda, a mechanical designer by trade, lost his city job and chose to return to his family's land in Santo Stefano Roero, Piedmont. The winery's name — "Fornace," meaning furnace or kiln — honours the brick kiln their great-grandfather once operated at the site in Frazione Sant'Antonio. Enrico's younger brother Emanuele joined him, and together they set about transforming a few hectares of family vineyards into one of Roero's most exciting small producers [^1^][^2^].
The Roero region sits on the left bank of the Tanaro River, directly across from the Langhe hills where Barolo and Barbaresco command global attention. But Roero is different — sandier, steeper, wilder. The Cauda brothers saw this not as a disadvantage but as an identity worth championing. They joined forces with fellow Roero producers Valfaccenda and Alberto Oggero to form the SoloRoero collective, a group dedicated to elevating Roero's native grapes and terroir on their own terms, separate from the shadow of their more famous neighbours [^1^].
What defines Cascina Fornace is the combination of deep ecological commitment and practical ingenuity. Enrico's background as a designer shows in the precision of their approach — every decision is considered, every intervention measured. The steep slopes of their vineyards mean everything must be done by hand: pruning, harvesting, canopy management. There are no shortcuts. And in the cellar, that same rigour applies: spontaneous fermentation, no temperature control, no fining, no filtration, minimal sulfur. The result is wine that tastes unmistakably of Roero — sandy, fresh, and alive [^2^][^3^].
"We place our trust in the 5 centimeters of humus that will form under the trees every thousand years."
— Cascina Fornace
Santo Stefano Roero, The Left Bank
Cascina Fornace's roughly 3.5 hectares sit in the village of Santo Stefano Roero, at approximately 350 metres above sea level on the steep, rugged hillsides that define this appellation. The Roero is geologically distinct from the Langhe across the river: its soils are predominantly sandy and limestone-rich, with a lightness and freshness that gives the wines a completely different character from the dense, structured Barolos of Tortonian clay [^1^][^2^].
The vines are old — 50 to 60 years — and planted to the two indigenous varieties that define Roero: Nebbiolo and Arneis. The steep slopes make mechanisation impossible; every row is worked by hand. The brothers do not till between rows, instead cultivating grasses, legumes, and herbs to build biodiversity and soil health. They apply biodynamic preparations and protect the vineyard with only sulfur and copper, used sparingly. Yields are intentionally kept low — around 40–60% of the legal maximum — ensuring concentrated, expressive fruit [^2^][^3^].
The Roero microclimate is characterised by low summer rainfall and strong sunlight, which enhances the aromatic lift of Arneis and the fruity persistence of Nebbiolo. The sandy soils give the wines a distinctive finesse and elegance — lighter in structure than Langhe counterparts, but with a clarity and transparency that speaks directly of place. Crus like Sreja and Bric del Medic are mentioned as specific sites within their holdings, each contributing its own nuance to the final wines [^1^].
The Roero's soils are a world apart from the Langhe. Sand and limestone dominate, giving wines of finesse, freshness, and aromatic clarity. The steep slopes of Cascina Fornace's vineyards amplify this effect — drainage is excellent, vine stress is natural, and the resulting grapes are small, concentrated, and deeply expressive of their sandy home.
The Nebbiolo and Arneis vines at Cascina Fornace are old — planted half a century ago or more. Old vines mean naturally low yields, deep root systems that tap into mineral complexity, and a genetic memory of the place that no new planting can replicate. These vines are the backbone of the estate's territorial identity.
The hillsides of Santo Stefano Roero are so steep that machinery cannot operate. Every task — pruning, tying, canopy management, harvesting into small crates — is done by hand. This is not romanticism; it is necessity. And it means that the brothers are in constant, intimate contact with every vine, every row, every vintage's unfolding.
Alongside Valfaccenda and Alberto Oggero, Cascina Fornace is part of SoloRoero — a collective of like-minded producers dedicated to championing Roero's identity. In a region overshadowed by the global fame of Barolo, SoloRoero asserts that Roero has its own voice, its own grapes, its own story. The collective shares knowledge, markets, and a common philosophy of minimal intervention.
As Little Interventionist As Possible
Cascina Fornace's cellar work is guided by a single principle: let the grapes speak. Fermentations are spontaneous, carried out by indigenous yeasts present on the skins and in the vineyard. There is no temperature control — the wines ferment at their own pace, in their own time. No selected yeasts, no enzymes, no additives. The goal is not to shape the wine but to reveal what the vineyard has already given [^2^][^3^].
The brothers use a diverse range of vessels: concrete tanks, exhausted tonneaux, barriques, stainless steel, and fiberglass. Whites (Arneis cuvées Pedaforno and Desaja) ferment spontaneously in steel or concrete, then age 6–8 months without fining or filtration. Reds (Nebbiolo cuvées Valdovato, Viscà, and Roero DOCG) undergo whole-cluster fermentation for 10–14 days, then age 12–24 months in used oak or concrete. Sulfur is minimal — 22–42 mg/L, roughly one-tenth of the legal limit — and added only at bottling when necessary [^1^].
The wines are unfiltered and often pulpy, with natural sediment that preserves texture and complexity. This is not laziness; it is a deliberate choice to keep the wine as close to its origin as possible. "Focusing attention on territorial expressiveness," as one importer noted, means accepting the wine as it is — vintage by vintage, plot by plot, without correction or compromise [^2^].
The Humus Philosophy
Cascina Fornace's guiding motto — "We place our trust in the 5 centimeters of humus that will form under the trees every thousand years" — encapsulates their entire worldview. It is a statement of deep ecological patience, of faith in slow processes, of humility before nature's timelines. In an industry often driven by quarterly sales and instant gratification, the Cauda brothers think in centuries. They farm for the soil that will exist long after them, trusting that the work they do today will compound into something richer for future generations. This is not marketing; it is the reason Enrico left his design career and why Emanuele returned to the family land. Every bottle is a small act of faith in that thousand-year humus.
Roero's Quiet Revolution
Cascina Fornace has become one of the most respected names in Roero natural wine — not through hype or volume, but through consistency, integrity, and a stubborn commitment to place. They produce only around 16,500 bottles annually across 5–6 cuvées, meaning demand consistently outstrips supply. Roughly 50–60% is exported to Europe, the US, and Asia, with importers like Strade Bianche Wines and Critical Mass Selections bringing their bottles to American natural wine bars and restaurants [^1^][^3^].
What makes Cascina Fornace distinctive is the clarity of their Roero identity. In a world where Nebbiolo is synonymous with Barolo's power and structure, the Cauda brothers offer a completely different expression — lighter, more aromatic, with the sandy freshness of the left bank. Their Arneis, too, challenges the variety's reputation for blandness, delivering taut minerality and genuine complexity. These are wines that make you rethink what Piedmont can be [^1^].
Enrico's personality shapes the winery's culture. A drum set greets visitors in the cellar — music, conviviality, and joy are as much a part of Cascina Fornace as sulfur levels and vine age. The brothers host visitors, pour at fairs like RAW Wine, and maintain a direct, unpretentious relationship with their drinkers. They are not trying to build an empire; they are trying to build a life that makes sense — one that honours the land, the grapes, and the community around them [^1^].
"Focusing attention on territorial expressiveness, as little interventionist as possible and close to nature and the environment."
— Cascina Fornace
The Cascina Fornace Range
All wines are made from organically farmed estate fruit, hand-harvested from 50–60 year old vines on steep sandy-limestone slopes. Indigenous yeast fermentation without temperature control. Unfined, unfiltered, with minimal sulfur (22–42 mg/L) added only at bottling when necessary. The range focuses on Roero's two native grapes — Nebbiolo and Arneis — expressed through different vessels, sites, and vintage conditions. Production is small and highly sought-after [^1^][^2^].