Gianluca Viberti is a charming character and probably the fittest winemaker in the world. Growing up on a vineyard in Piedmont, Gianluca was a boy who always wanted to be moving. As his efforts were needed in the winery or in the family trattoria after school, there was hardly any time for hobbies. But this wild child was inventive: he only ever had his school bag taken home by bus. He would run the 17 kilometres up the hill himself. His parents knew nothing of this habit - and the bus driver was his accomplice. Even today, the oenologist is drawn to the Alps whenever he has a free moment. Mountain running, climbing, mountain biking, skiing... Gianluca Viberti is always looking for a challenge. "The mountains have taught me to lift my gaze and observe my surroundings more closely," says the sporty winemaker. With a thoughtful look, he adds: "That's the opposite of what we so often do today, when we stare endlessly at our smartphones." He sees mountain climbing as a school for life: "The secret is to plan ahead. In doing so, you must never lose your focus or determination." This attitude is also central to Gianluca's winemaking, because in the vineyard too, even if the terroir and techniques are familiar, nature can provide unforeseen circumstances at any time. Just like the mountaineer, the winegrower must be able to "read" nature. They must anticipate possible problems through attentive observation, finding the best variants and often new paths. And of course, they must never risk losing balance. And the reward at the end of the climb? Inspiring wines that are highly balanced, fresh and precise. Our entry in the summit book of 460 Casina Bric: What a breathtaking view...We'll be back next weekend!

If Pirú wine had a face, it would be the complexion of a gaucho. Leathery, tanned by the sun, furrowed like the dust-dry high plains of northwest Argentina. «Escuchame,» he would say: «listen carefully»! He would then gaze into the campfire with lively eyes and philosophise about how insignificant life can seem with the mighty peaks of the Andes towering above you - like the Cerro de los Siete Colores, into whose fading flanks the vines of Pirú entwine their roots. Different mineral layers immerse the massif in fantastical shades of colour, from ash grey to metallic black to Bordeaux red. The gaucho would tell of emigrants who brought their knowledge of winemaking with them across the Atlantic. First and foremost those from Italy. In terms of winemaking, they are what Argentina recently became on the football pitch: World Champions! Then the French. It's no coincidence that Argentina likes to celebrate Buenos Aires as the «Paris of the Southern Hemisphere». It owes its paradise grape, Malbec, to the Grande Nation. But it takes a Latino temperament from Argentina to tame this tannin-strong variety, which is the wild mustang of grapes. Pirú's wines combine influences from terroir and technology to create emotional, muscular wines with intense fruit, whose features are unmistakably influenced by the Andes but also reflect European finesse.