The founding of the Cooperativa
It was in the medieval castle – now in ruins – amongst the hills of Vinchio that, in the 1700s, one of the first cooperative ventures amongst local farmers took shape, aimed at managing livestock, the cellars and the granary.
And if, as they say, good ideas are contagious and stand the test of time, this one has certainly changed the history of our homeland.
In the 1950s, market conditions in Piedmont were extremely harsh for farmers: on top of the hard labour in the vineyards, profit margins were shrinking ever further, and the grapes were being sold at prices that did not reflect the value of the effort involved.
On February 26th, 1959, 19 winegrowers from Vinchio and Vaglio Serra – two municipalities with a long-standing rivalry – decided to join forces and found Cantina Cooperativa di Vinchio e Vaglio Serra.
Not a choice driven by ambition, but rather by necessity. Not an individual goal, instead a collective one.
The founding of the winery is not merely an administrative formality. It is a tangible act that conveys, more than any words could, the essence of this venture: building together what would have been impossible to achieve alone.
To enable the first grapes to be processed that very same year, the founding members themselves took part in the construction of the building that still houses the cooperative today.
A structure born out of shared labour, situated on the border between the two villages so that everyone would feel represented, without exception.
Since then, one principle has remained unchanged within the cooperative: one person, one vote, regardless of the size of the vineyard.
People and territory: a tapestry of lives
Nowadays, there are around 200 members, cultivating some 550 hectares of vineyards, yet the spirit has remained unchanged.
Large, medium, small and even very small growers (often with less than one hectare) who supply all of Vinchio Vaglio’s grapes.
But above all, they are people, families and generations who have decided not to abandon their homeland and to join forces to embrace a larger project involving an entire area that has now been designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site precisely because of that unique relationship between man and nature.
It is only our passion for this land and these hills that has prevented us from abandoning our countryside in favour of the city.
“Today, we are able to provide an income for our winegrowers who produce small quantities by focusing on quality. This allows us to promote social sustainability, the landscape and hospitality in the region.”
— Lorenzo Giordano, President of Vinchio Vaglio
Within our DNA: quality and sustainability
Over time, the strength of the community has been complemented by a growing focus on quality. The members’ work in the vineyard is now enhanced by the winery’s technical and agronomic support, in a constant dialogue between experience and innovation.
“The real revolution has been returning to the vineyard with technical and agronomic support services to advise on what to plant and how, and above all to outline pest control strategies with a focus on the environment, understanding that quality is forged in the vineyard: technique and technology preserve it and pass it on to the wine. ”
— Lorenzo Giordano, President of Vinchio Vaglio
As early as 1985, at a time when everyone was grubbing up their oldest vineyards in favour of higher yields and the possibility of mechanisation, the “Vigne Vecchie” project was launched to promote vineyards that were over 50 years old – less productive, yet capable of producing wines with a strong expressive identity. This was an economically disadvantageous choice for the growers, made possible by the technical and financial support provided by the winery.
A choice that has become a vision and is now recognised by national and international critics, as evidenced by the first prize at the Barbera Auction at Castello di Costiglione, where Bricco Laudana achieved the highest price per litre (still unmatched today!), and the award of Gambero Rosso’s ‘I Tre Bicchieri 2026’ to our Barbera d’Asti Vigne Vecchie 50 2023.
“The cooperative produces over 35,000 hectolitres. 75% of the vineyard is dedicated to Barbera, yet the strength of the project lies above all in its ability to select different plots and styles depending on the vintage. We’re like a football team for Barbera: depending on the vintage, we field one player or another.
— Lorenzo Giordano, President of Vinchio Vaglio.
And whilst it is certainly true that a company’s mission is to create value, Vinchio Vaglio has always emphasised that the ultimate aim of the Cantina Cooperativa is to enhance the community and the local area, ensuring that the company’s development goes hand in hand with that of the world around us, thereby becoming truly sustainable in the long term from an economic, environmental and social perspective.
This approach has been officially recognised since 2023 through the Equalitas certification as a Sustainable Winery, because caring for the vineyard means, in fact, caring for the landscape, the people and the future.
Together for over 60 years
Our history finds its roots in a landscape that is both rugged and bountiful: steep slopes, precipitous vineyards on the edge of the woods, rows that follow impossible contours and which, for generations, have required a dedication made of hard work, resilience and patience to cultivate.
Yet, this land rewards our efforts with extraordinary grapes that bring incredible satisfaction.
And so today, every drop of the so-called ‘Rubino di Vinchio’ – the Barbera that finds its most authentic expression on these hills – embodies the value of an age-old craft: that of the land and of those who work with it together, day after day.
And it is also thanks to all those who work at the winery and to the many consumers who renew their trust in us every day that Cantina Vinchio Vaglio stands as a model of cooperative winemaking excellence: an organisation where the strength of the community translates into wines that are recognised and appreciated internationally.
But, above all, it remains what it has always been: a winery born in a land that grants nothing without first demanding everything.