Thirty winemakers from all over Italy to explain the reasons, from those who move away from the city to the countryside, from those who migrate from abroad to the Italian hills, from those who leave the most disparate professions in the name of wine. All stories of migration that intertwine with sustainability, inclusion and the welcome of those who migrate out of necessity. They are the protagonists of “winemakers in movement” who on March 15 will participate in SoloVino, the fair-market dedicated to artisanal wines, organized by SoloRoero at the Palarocche in Santo Stefano Roero (CN). Winemakers from Piedmont, Tuscany, Emilia Romagna and Sicily with a special guest from Burgundy bring to the stage a story of change to explore the link between wine and the concept of migration, geographical, professional, cultural. Through tastings, meetings and good food, the SoloRoero collective also celebrates the transformation and rediscovery of Roero, one of the most pristine wine-growing areas in Piedmont.
"With 'Vignaioli in movimento' we want to tell a multifaceted phenomenon: the return to the roots, the rediscovery of nature. Movement is not only physical, but also existential and cultural. It means transformation, growth and the search for new perspectives", explain the founders of SoloRoero, Emanuele and Enrico Cauda (Cascina Fornace, Santo Stefano Roero), Luca Faccenda and Carolina Roggero (Valfaccenda, Canale) and Alberto Oggero (the winery of the same name between Canale and Santo Stefano Roero), three producers united by their passion for the extraordinary potential of Roero, where the sensation of balance, between irregular hills and vineyards that alternate with woods, on the one hand represents a daily challenge for the winemakers, on the other contributes to defining the unique character of the wines.
The redemption of those who come from far away, the journey of those who go from the city to the countryside, of those who choose sustainability
SoloVino gives voice to the experiences of winemakers who have undertaken a “journey”. Some come from far away, like Sean O'Callaghan, known to his friends as Il Guercio, who landed in Tuscany from Sri Lanka. His wines reflect the redemption of a life spent among Italian vineyards, until he landed at Tenuta di Carleone (in Radda in Chianti, SI). Some move from the city to the countryside, a distinctive phenomenon of our time which, without being a nostalgic return to cultivation, can translate into a modern reinterpretation, where advanced technologies and knowledge marry with peasant traditions. Tommaso Cappa and Agnese Caprioli, for example, from Turin in 2020 decided to cultivate a small vineyard of Dolcetto and Barbera in Dogliani (CN). The Neapolitans Gabriele Buondonno and Valeria Sodano, who at university already fantasized about living in the countryside, have transformed a farm in Castellina in Chianti (SI) into a pioneering organic farm. From Turin, two women, Lara Rocchetti and Luisa Sala, moved to Langa, to Serralunga d'Alba to cultivate some of the noblest vines in northern Italy.
The journey of some winemakers starts from different professional paths. The love for wine and for the wine culture becomes the engine of a radical change: Giuseppe Amato, a Roman biologist specialized in tropical fish, and Kyriaki Kalimeri, a Greek engineer with a passion for wine, in Corneliano d'Alba (CN) created the Valdisole winery, combining research and tradition to produce unique wines.
All the winemakers present at SoloVino also travel in the direction of sustainable practices. The Sette winery in Nizza Monferrato (AT), founded by three professionals from different sectors, is completely oriented towards organic and biodynamic management, the same used by the German Philine Isabelle, in Barolo (CN). And again from the Italian-German union of Michele Pasquero and Annette Hilberg in Priocca (CN) a company was born with a strong commitment to organic agriculture and environmental sustainability that the spouses define as “bioergodynamic”. Even the special guest of the 2025 edition, the Domaine Camille Thiriet from Burgundy, follows the principles of organic agriculture and a respectful approach to biodiversity, favoring the presence of flowers to preserve the ecosystem.
From Competition to Cooperation
Another form of migration is the transition from a competitive to a collaborative model: the winemaker does not work in isolation, but joins networks of producers, to protect and enhance designations of origin or territories. Groups of producers work together to share resources, face common challenges. A journey well represented by SoloRoero and therefore by Cascina Fornace (Santo Stefano Roero), Valfaccenda (Canale) and Alberto Oggero (between Canale and Santo Stefano Roero). The association, which created SoloVino, was born from the choice of sharing the will to cultivate the two vines at the base of the Roero Arneis and Roero DOCGs, with certified natural or organic methods, only Arneis and Nebbiolo. SoloRoero embodies the spirit of cooperation and mutual aid, demonstrating that union and hospitality can generate great results.
Hospitality and agriculture: an opportunity for exchange in Roero
In Roero, the collaboration with the CAS of Santo Stefano Roero (Extraordinary Reception Center, a reception, protection and integration facility for migrants), managed by the Cooperativa Alpi del Mare Onlus, represents a virtuous example of how agricultural work can foster integration. The work placement of migrants in the vineyards becomes a precious resource for the territory, bringing new life to local companies and offering the possibility of building a new future to the people welcomed.
With SoloVino, SoloRoero focuses on social inclusion also with collaborations such as the one with 8pari (Alba – CN), a therapeutic project that offers job opportunities to vulnerable people. Work in the fields, among the vineyards and in the cellars thus becomes an experience of mutual growth, where the people welcomed find new opportunities and the local communities rediscover the value of diversity and solidarity.
The day will open with a round table dedicated to the theme of hospitality, while the tastings will continue from 11:00 to 22:00, accompanied by the cuisine of the local Proloco with the support of the boys from the Migrant Reception Center of Santo Stefano Roero. SoloVino will also be an opportunity to celebrate the transformation and rediscovery of Roero, one of the most pristine wine-growing areas of Piedmont.
