Ca' Rome

The Family

CA’ ROME’ was established in 1980 by Romano Marengo, a simple, honest man with a great passion for wine, grapevines and his native land.

This family-run winery is the realization of one his biggest dreams: after spending thirty years working in the wine industry, his dream became a reality he now shares with his children Giuseppe (known as Pino), Paola, and Maria as well as his wife Olimpia.

Romano taught them his methods, passing on his ways of thinking and his main objective: the production of quality wine. Giuseppe continues his father’s efforts, carefully managing every phase of production, beginning with the selection of the grapes from historic vineyards owned by the family and located in Barbaresco and Serralunga d’Alba, the latter having been inherited from grandmother Maria di Brün. Paola manages the sales side with tireless energy and a smile that comes from an innate optimism. The passion with which she transmits the family’s values – quality, honesty, respect for tradition, exploration, and an international air – and the company’s mission is immense.

Olimpia, extraordinarily dynamic, is cultured, practical, and embodies the soul of the family she dedicated most of her life to, which is also reflected in the cellar and the products.

Over time, Giuseppe demonstrated himself to be an effective successor of his father’s work. At the helm of the company, he introduces technological innovations, adapting them to the changing times and ever demanding needs of the market as well as the stringent laws and production requirements for DOC and DOCG wines.

Romano, with his austere ways and wise advice stemming from thirty years’ experience, carefully and kindly observes how business is going.

Production Philosophy

The Appeal of Tradition

In speaking with Giuseppe Marengo about his wines, one is fascinated by his words and his vast knowledge, stemming from his father’s teachings and his extensive enology studies. Not to mention his dedication, which truly comes from living in this area, genuine like the wine it produces.

Like Romano, a winemaker by trade, Giuseppe personally takes care of his vines, the vinification of the grapes, the brands and the sale of his wines.

Today, Romano still passes on his knowledge and experience to Giuseppe and Paola. That passion has already sparked in the second generation of winemakers, promising a dynamic future that is still heedful of age-old traditions.

The entire growth cycle, from pruning to harvest, calls for constant care in preserving the quality and the environment, which is also where the Marengo family lives and works.

Work in the Vineyard

Quality is achieved mainly in the vineyard. This ensures maximum respect for the grapes and the environment in which they were conceived. It also calls for carrying out eco-sustainable viticultural practices like grassing, fertilization and cover cropping with green manure or other organic composts (manure, humus or other). In the fight against vine disease, we mostly use biodynamic products.

We start our year with short pruning and end with careful crop thinning during veraison in summer, making sure the vigor of the plant can be concentrated better in the remaining clusters. In September, light leaf removal is carried out, but only near the clusters to allow for better ripening. During harvest, it is important to achieve peak phenolic ripening.

Technology

In the cellar, we only periodically rack or top up to attain simple, natural unfiltered and unclarified wines. The methods may vary slightly, according to the growth cycle of the vintage. But the main goal is still to get the best out of the grapes and the soil, giving the wine a distinctive personality.

A visit to the winery will give you the chance to appreciate the great care taken in the different environments, which are rustic, with tasteful details, and a family atmosphere. You will also get to experience the courtesy and openness of the owners. Upon request, the Marengo siblings will explain their techniques, as well as the quality characteristics and sensory details of their wines.

Aging

Aging is mandatory for our wines meant for long cellaring. Our 25-hl barrels are made of oak (Quercus Sessilis, Quercus Pedunculata, Quercus Alba) from Slavonia and our 225-l barriques come from France.

During aging, tiny amounts of oxygen penetrate the pores of the wood acting on the phenolic compounds of the wine and helping them mature. This slow micro-oxygenation allows the color to stabilize and softens the tannins.

We sporadically check and rack the wine to help us decide how long we should age, which will vary according to vineyard and vintage.

Tastings

Everything about the production of a wine (type of soil, exposure, type of grape, vinification method, aging techniques) is concentrated into the glass in front of us.

The tasting is the moment when all this information is revealed, through the synthesis of our perception, attention and judgement.