CASCINA PENNA-CURRADO
Cascina Penna-Currado is one of the most exciting new-generation estates in Piedmont, Italy, founded by celebrated winemaker Luca Currado Vietti and his wife Elena Penna-Currado, the former owners and driving forces behind the legendary Vietti winery. Based in Serralunga d'Alba, the estate represents a remarkable new chapter for one of Barolo's most influential winemaking families, combining decades of experience with a renewed commitment to small-scale, terroir-driven wines.
Few contemporary Piedmont producers arrive with the reputation and experience of Luca Currado. As the fifth-generation winemaker of Vietti, Luca played an instrumental role in establishing the estate as one of the most internationally respected names in Barolo. Working alongside Elena, he helped develop Vietti's reputation for exceptional single-vineyard Barolo, expressive Barbera and Dolcetto, and the revival of traditional Piedmontese varieties.
The couple sold Vietti to the American Krause family in 2016, remaining involved in its management and winemaking until January 2023. Their departure marked the end of an important chapter in the history of Vietti, but also created an opportunity to pursue a more personal project.
Together with their children Michele and Giulia, Luca and Elena established Cascina Penna-Currado, returning to the intimate scale of a family winery. Their ambition was not simply to recreate Vietti under a different name, but to develop a distinctive estate reflecting their evolving understanding of Piedmont's vineyards and the future of its wines.
The project is based in a beautifully restored sixteenth-century farmhouse in Serralunga d'Alba, one of the most prestigious villages of the Barolo appellation. The historic property has been transformed into a contemporary winery while preserving its original architectural character, bringing together centuries of local heritage and modern winemaking facilities.
The estate's first wines were introduced internationally in 2024, with the inaugural collection centred on Barbera d'Alba, Dolcetto d'Alba and Langhe Nebbiolo. The project also encompasses Timorasso from the Colli Tortonesi and an increasingly important collection of Barolo wines.
At the heart of Cascina Penna-Currado is a philosophy Luca describes as producing “Langa-driven wines”: wines that communicate the instinct, energy and individuality of their origins without relying on excessive concentration or demonstrative winemaking.
This approach represents a thoughtful evolution of the style for which Luca became internationally recognised. Rather than seeking power for its own sake, the wines emphasise freshness, aromatic precision, vibrant fruit and finely balanced tannins, allowing the character of each vineyard to remain clearly visible.
The vineyards are concentrated around San Sebastiano in Monforte d'Alba, an area that has become particularly important to the estate's identity. Situated within the broader Barolo landscape, San Sebastiano benefits from elevated vineyards, cooling air currents and diverse exposures, creating conditions that favour slower ripening and the preservation of natural acidity.
These characteristics are increasingly valuable in Piedmont, where warmer growing seasons have made vineyard elevation and exposure important considerations for maintaining freshness and balance.
The estate works with mature vineyards in San Sebastiano, including parcels with vines ranging from approximately 25 to 70 years of age. Rather than pursuing vineyard expansion indiscriminately, the family has focused on carefully selected sites with strong biodiversity, distinctive geological characteristics and the potential to produce balanced wines over the long term.
One of the signature wines is Langhe Nebbiolo Bricco Lago, produced from vineyards surrounding the historic chapel of San Sebastiano in Monforte d'Alba.
The vineyards occupy different exposures across the hillside, allowing Luca to combine fruit from sites with complementary ripening characteristics. The resulting wine captures the aromatic elegance of Nebbiolo, with red cherry, raspberry, wild strawberry, rose petals and violets supported by fresh acidity and refined tannins.
Fermentation is approached with considerable restraint. Indigenous yeasts, carefully managed maceration and thoughtful use of whole berries allow the wine to develop structure without losing its delicate aromatic character.
Bricco Lago is particularly interesting because it demonstrates that Langhe Nebbiolo can offer genuine vineyard expression and complexity without requiring the extended maturation or concentration associated with Barolo.
A more structured interpretation appears in Nebbiolo d'Alba Superiore San Sebastiano, produced from selected mature vineyards within the same area.
This wine reflects the greater depth and concentration possible from older Nebbiolo vines, while retaining the freshness and aromatic definition that characterise the estate's philosophy. Red fruit, floral perfume, savoury spice and finely textured tannins combine in a wine capable of rewarding further bottle ageing.
For enthusiasts of traditional Piedmontese varieties, Barbera d'Alba Superiore Carrà is another important expression.
Produced from two vineyard parcels in San Sebastiano, including vines approximately 25 and 70 years old, Carrà demonstrates Barbera's ability to combine generous fruit with vibrant acidity and substantial structural complexity.
The vineyards benefit from elevated positions and cooling Alpine air currents, allowing the grapes to ripen gradually while avoiding excessive concentration or overripeness.
The wine is fermented using traditional methods and matured for approximately one year in large oak barrels. Dark plum, blueberry, spice and balsamic notes are supported by Barbera's characteristic acidity, producing a wine that combines richness with remarkable freshness.
Dolcetto d'Alba Bricco Lago provides another distinctive expression of the estate's philosophy.
Dolcetto has long been one of Piedmont's most important everyday red varieties, although its potential for serious, terroir-driven wines is sometimes overlooked internationally.
At Cascina Penna-Currado, Dolcetto receives the same attention to vineyard selection and careful winemaking as the estate's more prestigious varieties. Fruit is sourced from mature vines in the San Sebastiano area, with an average age of approximately 40 years.
The wine emphasises bright dark cherry and plum fruit, floral aromatics and the characteristic gentle bitterness of Dolcetto, supported by soft tannins and refreshing acidity.
Luca's use of whole-cluster fermentation in selected wines contributes aromatic complexity and texture while preserving the natural energy of the fruit.
Another particularly significant wine is Derthona Colli Tortonesi Timorasso E.P., produced from the indigenous white grape Timorasso.
Elena Penna-Currado has been a passionate advocate for Timorasso for many years, helping bring greater attention to the variety during her time at Vietti. Its inclusion in Cascina Penna-Currado was therefore a natural continuation of a deeply personal interest.
The grapes are sourced from vineyards in Berzano di Tortona, within the Colli Tortonesi region of southeastern Piedmont. These vineyards benefit from distinctive soils and cooler growing conditions that allow Timorasso to develop considerable aromatic complexity while retaining firm natural acidity.
Timorasso is increasingly recognised as one of Italy's most compelling age-worthy white varieties. Its wines can combine stone fruit, citrus, chamomile, herbs and subtle honeyed notes with substantial texture and mineral structure.
The E.P. cuvée explores this potential through careful extraction and maturation in alternative vessels, including ceramic-based containers, allowing texture and complexity to develop without dominant oak flavours.
The result is a serious Piedmontese white wine that offers a compelling alternative to more familiar Italian Chardonnay or international white varieties.
The estate's exploration of indigenous grapes also includes Verduno Pelaverga Pelà, produced entirely from Pelaverga Piccolo.
Associated particularly with the village of Verduno, Pelaverga is celebrated for its pale colour, delicate red fruit, floral perfume and distinctive white-pepper spice.
Its inclusion in the Cascina Penna-Currado collection reflects Luca and Elena's broader commitment to preserving the diversity of Piedmont's traditional varieties rather than concentrating exclusively on Nebbiolo.
Perhaps the most eagerly anticipated development, however, is the estate's Barolo program.
Cascina Penna-Currado has secured access to carefully selected vineyards within the Barolo appellation, with wines from the 2023 vintage scheduled for release from January 2027, following the required maturation period.
The collection is intended to include both a traditional multi-vineyard Barolo and individual vineyard expressions, allowing Luca to apply decades of experience with Nebbiolo to a new generation of wines.
Given his historical association with some of Barolo's most celebrated vineyards, these releases represent an important milestone for collectors interested in following the evolution of Luca Currado's winemaking.
Yet the philosophy behind Cascina Penna-Currado is deliberately different from simply pursuing the prestige of Barolo. The family has placed equal emphasis on Dolcetto, Barbera, Langhe Nebbiolo, Timorasso and Pelaverga, recognising that the diversity of Piedmont is one of its greatest strengths.
The estate also places considerable importance on environmental responsibility. The restored winery has been designed with energy efficiency and sustainability in mind, while vineyard selection prioritises biodiversity, long-term soil health and sites capable of maintaining balance in a changing climate.
For Luca and Elena, sustainability is not separate from wine quality. Healthy vineyards, carefully selected terroirs and sensitive winemaking are essential to producing wines that retain freshness and authenticity over time.
The family's approach to winemaking reflects this philosophy. Fermentation is generally conducted with indigenous yeasts, while whole berries and whole clusters are used selectively according to variety and vintage.
Maceration and extraction are carefully managed to preserve aromatic purity, and maturation vessels are chosen to support the individual character of each wine rather than impose a uniform house style.
Traditional large oak barrels remain important, particularly for structured red wines, while alternative vessels are employed where they offer greater precision or a different approach to texture.
The result is a portfolio that feels both deeply traditional and unmistakably contemporary. These are wines rooted in the historic grape varieties and vineyards of Piedmont, yet shaped by a philosophy that places freshness, elegance and drinkability alongside concentration and ageing potential.
Cascina Penna-Currado is also significant because it represents a rare opportunity to follow a celebrated winemaker at the beginning of a genuinely independent new chapter.
After decades of building Vietti into one of Italy's most respected estates, Luca Currado and Elena Penna have returned to the scale and intimacy of a family project, working alongside their children and applying their accumulated knowledge to a carefully selected collection of vineyards.
For collectors familiar with Vietti's celebrated Barolo wines, Cascina Penna-Currado offers a fascinating perspective on the evolution of Luca's style. The emphasis is not on recreating past achievements but on producing wines that reflect his current understanding of terroir, balance and the changing conditions of Piedmont.
From Langhe Nebbiolo Bricco Lago and Barbera d'Alba Superiore Carrà to Dolcetto d'Alba, Nebbiolo d'Alba Superiore, Derthona Timorasso and Verduno Pelaverga, Cascina Penna-Currado provides an exceptionally compelling introduction to the diversity of contemporary Piedmont.
As the estate's first Barolo vintages approach release, it is poised to become an increasingly important name among collectors of fine Italian wine.
Shop Cascina Penna-Currado wines online at Wine More Cellars Australia. Discover Luca Currado and Elena Penna's new Piedmont estate, including Nebbiolo, Barbera, Dolcetto, Timorasso and limited-production Italian wines, with Australia-wide shipping.
