White Grapes Like Reds

Giulio Armani is a native of the Colli Piacentini — born just 7 kilometers from La Stoppa, the legendary estate where he has been the guiding winemaker for over 40 years. His parents were born very close to what would become Denavolo, and his roots in this land run as deep as the limestone soils he now farms. Before Denavolo existed as a winery, it was simply a search for a house. Giulio was looking for an old stone building in the area, a place to settle, to garden, to live quietly. He found it in Travo, in the Val Trebbia — a commune between the Val Trebbia and the Val Nure, at the foot of Monte Denavolo. The property came with 30 hectares of land, the price was interesting, and what began as a personal retreat quickly became an obsession.

"I could see myself gardening, but gardening vines… having a few vines to make wine for my own consumption and sharing with friends and selling a few grapes. So I planted 1 hectare in Cassinera. And I got a taste for it :-) Today I 'garden' 8 hectares!" This is how Giulio describes the birth of Denavolo — not as a calculated business venture, but as a natural evolution of curiosity, rootedness, and the simple pleasure of making wine. In 2005, he founded Azienda Agricola Denavolo, with the first release in 2006. The estate is named for the mountain that towers above it — Monte Denavolo — a silent, imposing presence that shapes the climate, the soils, and the spirit of the wines.

Giulio's connection to this land is not merely geographical; it is ancestral. His father used to make wine every year, buying 700–800 kg of grapes and vinifying them with skin contact — the traditional way. His grandfather before him did the same, keeping some grapes from the family land and vinifying them as his father had taught him. This was the common way of winemaking in Italy, a method that Giulio describes as "terroir also means perpetuating traditions." When he settled at Denavolo, it was obvious to him that he would continue this legacy — not as nostalgia, but as conviction. He had already pioneered extended skin-contact white winemaking at La Stoppa in 2001, creating what would become the legendary Ageno, inspired by his friend Stanko Radikon. At Denavolo, he had the freedom to push this philosophy even further — to create wines that were entirely his own, unfiltered by commercial expectation or institutional constraint.

Giulio is a man of contradictions that resolve into harmony. He is silent and introspective, yet his face opens in a broad smile that reveals the deeper animo within: a chronic curious, an indefatigable experimenter. He does not seek noise, mess, or confusion — he seeks understanding. "I like to read, especially historical books. I like to understand, and often you find the keys by immersing yourself in history." This intellectual depth, this desire to comprehend the why beneath the what, permeates every decision at Denavolo. He is not following a trend; he is following a thread — from his grandfather's cellar to Radikon's experiments to his own relentless questioning of what wine can be when it is left to speak without intervention.

At Denavolo, the cellar philosophy is one of radical non-intervention — not as a posture, but as a practice rooted in tradition and refined by decades of experience. All wines are made from white grapes that are destemmed and crushed, then left on their skins for extended periods — 4 to 7 months or more. This is not skin contact as a stylistic flourish; this is skin contact as the fundamental method of winemaking, the way Giulio's grandfather made wine, the way his father made wine, the way he believes wine should be made when terroir is the priority. The grapes are fermented with indigenous yeasts only — no commercial strains, no temperature control, no enzymes, no additives of any kind. The wines are unfined, unfiltered, and bottled with zero added sulfites. The result is a portfolio of proto-orange wines that are thick, identity-driven, and emotionally profound — wines that challenge the drinker to reconsider what white wine can be.

The techniques are demanding, traditional, and deeply personal:

Harvest & Selection: All grapes are meticulously hand-harvested from the estate's 8 hectares of organic and biodynamic vineyards. Giulio monitors each parcel daily in the weeks leading up to harvest, tasting berries and waiting for the moment when phenolic ripeness, sugar concentration, and acid balance align. The harvest is selective and careful — only the finest bunches are chosen, and they are transported quickly to the cellar to preserve freshness. The separation between Denavolo (lower, older vines) and Catavela (higher, younger vines) is maintained throughout the process, ensuring that each cuvée expresses the distinct character of its specific terroir. The grapes for Dinavolino — the top-tier wine — come exclusively from the highest, coolest, most exposed vineyards, where the fruit develops extraordinary concentration and acidity.

Destemming, Crushing & Maceration: The grapes are destemmed and crushed, then transferred to fermentation vessels — stainless steel tanks, amphora, or old oak — where they begin spontaneous fermentation with indigenous yeasts. During the first days, when alcoholic fermentation is well underway, Giulio pumps over and aerates the wine extensively, ensuring healthy yeast activity and even extraction. After 5 or 6 days, he stops adding oxygen and allows the fermentation to continue quietly, the juice resting beneath the cap of skins and marc, maturing on the lees for months. He does not rack the wines before winter, allowing them to benefit from extended lees contact that builds texture, complexity, and stability. The length of maceration depends entirely on the character of the season — sometimes 4 months, sometimes 7 or more. It is the tasting that decides the right moment, not the calendar.

"Dinavolino" — The Entry-Level Cuvée: The Dinavolino is Denavolo's "entry level" wine — a term that belies its extraordinary depth and complexity. It is made from grapes grown at the lower elevations (350–450m) of the Denavolo parcel, where the warmer climate and clay-limestone soils produce fruit of richness and accessibility. In the glass, it is amber-orange, hazy and alive. The nose is a complex mix of citrus fruits, white flowers, honey, rosemary, sage, and capers — a Mediterranean herb garden in wine form. The palate is structured with rich tannin yet still juicy, the acidity vibrant and refreshing, the finish long and savory. It is a wine that demands food — green asparagus with pasta, tortelli con ricotta e verdure, river fish — and rewards patience. Despite being the "entry" wine, it is a profound expression of Giulio's philosophy: white grapes treated with the respect traditionally reserved for reds. ~$22–$32 / ~€20–€29.

"Dinavolo" — The Top-Tier Cuvée: The Dinavolo is the estate's flagship — a blend of 25% Ortrugo, 25% Malvasia di Candia Aromatica, 25% Marsanne, and 25% an unidentified forgotten variety, all sourced from the highest vineyards of the Catavela parcel at 500–700 meters. This is a wine of extraordinary ambition and even more extraordinary achievement. The extended maceration — often 7 months or more — extracts deep color, intense tannin, and complex phenolic compounds from the thick-skinned Malvasia and the forgotten variety. The high-altitude acidity provides the structural backbone that allows the wine to age gracefully for decades. In the glass, it is deep amber-gold, almost bronze. The nose evolves endlessly — dried apricot, orange peel, wild honey, dried herbs, nuts, and a distinct mineral salinity that speaks of the rocky Catavela soils. The palate is full-bodied, tannic, sapid, and dry — a wine of great personality that challenges linear precision with visceral depth. It is not a wine for the faint of heart; it is a wine for those who believe that the greatest wines are conversations, not monologues. Serve with local cheeses, matured cow's milk cheeses, braised meats, or simply contemplate it alone. ~$28–$42 / ~€25–€38.

"Catavela" — The Direct-Press Expression: A portion of the grapes from the cooler Catavela sites — where maturities are more difficult to achieve — is directly pressed rather than macerated. This produces a fresher, more linear wine that complements the extended-maceration cuvées, offering a different window into the same terroir. It is a wine of clarity and precision, citrus and mineral, that proves Giulio's range extends beyond the orange wine paradigm. Even here, the philosophy remains intact: indigenous yeasts, no additives, unfined, unfiltered, zero sulfur.

Vessels & Ageing: Giulio experiments constantly with fermentation vessels — stainless steel tanks for purity and temperature stability, amphora for breathability and neutral ageing, old oak for subtle complexity and textural roundness. There is no new oak, no toast, no vanilla — only the vessel's unique interaction with the wine. The choice of vessel depends on the vintage, the parcel, and Giulio's intuition. After fermentation and maceration, the wines are aged on their lees for as long as necessary — often through winter and into spring — before racking and bottling. The ageing is not rushed; it is a continuation of the vineyard's slow conversation with time. The wines are bottled without fining or filtration, preserving their natural textures, flavors, and living yeasts. Zero sulfur is added — a radical choice that demands pristine fruit, immaculate cellar hygiene, and absolute confidence in the wine's natural stability.

Wheat, Pasta & The Future: Giulio's vision extends beyond wine. He cultivates 6 hectares of soft wheat — an ancient variety called "Ardito e Virgilio" — which he transforms into flour and pasta through a local artisan. This is not a side project; it is an expression of the same philosophy that guides the winery: respect for tradition, commitment to quality, and a belief that the land should be used fully and honestly. He dreams of making sparkling wine — a traditional-method sparkling white Barbera, exploiting the variety's natural acidity and low tannin. It is a trial he plans to pursue soon, another experiment in a life defined by curiosity. "I think it would give a very nice cuvée, and it's a trial I'll be doing soon."