14.2 After the oenologist diploma

“In 1987, when I graduated, the company was not in a position to guarantee me a job: Luciano was still at Marchesi di Barolo. Only Mariuccia worked full-time at the winery. So, in agreement with Luciano, I decided to gain experience at a winery in the Roero, in Canale, with Carlo Deltetto. But whenever I had free time, I would return to Luciano. During that period, we consulted each other constantly: we compared what we were doing in the winery in Barolo with what was happening at Deltetto, where innovation was the norm. And this allowed me to broaden my technical horizons and test new working methods. Luciano's decision to add Nebbiolo d'Alba from Valmaggiore to his Barolos was also favoured by my work in the Roero: I had the opportunity to meet some of the best winegrowers in Valmaggiore and this was useful for us when we decided to move from projects to action.”

When and how did your entry into the Sandrone company happen?

“At Deltetto I still followed the bottlings of summer 1992 and I returned to Barolo in view of that year's harvest. That harvest, which was in fact difficult and contradictory, was also the first exploratory vinification of Nebbiolo grapes from Valmaggiore di Vezza d’Alba. A vinification that did not result in bottles of Nebbiolo d’Alba that year, but which was essential as a global evaluation test. In short, a test to be confirmed. That was the period in which Luciano had definitively left Marchesi di Barolo and was beginning to concentrate his attention and work on his own company, already glimpsing a very promising future.”

How did you evaluate this step in your professional journey?

“More than a return, mine was a real entry into Luciano's company. He was aware of needing concrete help. If the help then also came from a trusted person, then that situation was even more desired. After all, Luciano and I had been working together for a long time and therefore my arrival at the winery was nothing more than the worthy conclusion of a work process done in stages and consolidated more each day. Moreover, my insertion into the company coincided with a period of great dynamism, with the production area gradually growing and the market, thanks to Barbara's return, becoming increasingly wide.”