Eugenio Bocchino

Eugenio Bocchino is the type of man who reminds us immediately why we’re in this business—down to earth, heartfelt, hard-working and very, very patient. Sitting in his warm, rustic kitchen one afternoon, we got to know this quiet, but fiercely driven winemaker. Among other things, we learned that his desire to make the best Nebbiolo in Piedmont, (that’s some goal), is what impels him to work 14 hours a day in the fields. Incredibly, apart from his wife, Cinzia, whose palate he values above all others in the cellar, Eugenio is a one-man show.

Initially a student of economics, Bocchino shifted gears post-grad and began traveling to places like Burgundy and Sicily in order to self-educate himself on wine. He met Cinzia in 1993, and by 1997 the couple had married and begun production (her grandfather had also been a winemaker in the area). Eugenio says he has a good friend and producer who helped him get started, but maintains that he has his own vision, and prefers to make his own mistakes along the way. (So far, we haven’t tasted any.)Asked about his distinct style, Eugenio says it begins in the vineyard, and not the cellar “It’s not my style—it is the land’s style… I don’t believe in too much technology.”

Note: When we noticed a single, small window cut high up, on one wall of the cellar, Eugenio grinned and explained that it led to their bedroom: “So I can dream about my wine”.