Certification, sustainability and sparkling wine: Enrico Serafino's story

Founded in Canale, Piemonte in 1878 by its namesake, Enrico Serafino has always been ahead of the curve. From it becoming a pioneer of Alta Langa's tradition method sparkling wines to its push in 1970 to vinify Barolo and Barbaresco outside of the confines of the designated production zones, the winery keeps its feet in tradition and its eyes on the future.

The ability to keep producing top wines in the future will be made possible thanks to Enrico Serafino's longstanding commitment to sustainability, something which has been placed at the forefront under the Krause family, who have owned the winery since 2015.

The Krause family.

Sustainability

"Enrico Serafino is committed to all aspects of social responsibility: from sustainable viticulture to the protection of biodiversity, from promoting social initiatives to respecting stakeholders. The winery is attentive to the environment throughout all production processes up to the marketing of its wines," says a spokesperson. "In 2023, Enrico Serafino renewed the VIVA Certification both as an organization and for its Alta Langa Oudeis, the only certified Alta Langa."

VIVA is a protocol from the Ministry of Environment and Energy Security and Land and Sea Protection, designed to assess sustainability performance and communicate it to consumers. It uses internationally recognised and comparable environmental, economic, and social indicators, checking everything from CO2 emissions and water consumption to employee and supplier contracts.

The winery has achieved this landmark certification thanks to a number of cutting edge initiatives, including the use of what is known as 'integrated pest management'.

"We have minimised the use of agrochemicals thanks to integrated pest management techniques, monitoring of climatic parameters (rainfall, temperature, humidity, etc.), and pest control through pheromone traps. This system ensures the protection of plant and animal biodiversity in the vineyard and maintains the natural balance that makes agriculture more sustainable, resilient, and high-quality," says the spokesperson.

Cover cropping is another technique Enrico Serafino swears by, both due to it reducing the risk of soil erosion and because it greatly boosts the biodiversity of that soil.

"The greatest reward of being sustainable is contributing, even in a small way, to the protection of the environment and biodiversity," notes the spokesperson.

A top Alta Langa

Enrico Serafino's Alta Langa Pas Dosé Sboccatura Tardiva Zero Ris. 2019 gained the rare distinction of Tre Bicchieri in the latest Vini d'Italia guide – one of only four of these sparkling wines to get top markets.

"There are notes of pastries, spices, and citrus on the nose and a finish that is long, bold, and enveloping all at once," was the verdict of Gambero Rosso's expert panel of tasters.

2019 was a good vintage for Pinot Noir with power, structure and, all the while, good acidity – a must for top sparkling wine.

"Winemaking is done to respect and enhance the grape variety, the territory, and the vintage, highlighting the identity of each territory and the organoleptic profile of each wine," concludes the spokesperson.