Cieck San Giorgio Erbaluce di Caluso Spumante DOCG NV

Cieck is overseen by Remo Falconieri, “the Archimedes of bubbly” as christened by Carlin Petrini (founder of the Slow Food Movement). At the age of 80-plus, he’s the first to arrive in the cellar every morning, at 8 o’clock. Remo established the estate in 1985––initially, “just for fun.” The son of farmers, he was working as a typewriter designer for Olivetti when he travelled to France to learn how to make sparkling wine. The idea was to be a small producer, mostly for local consumption. With only a few hectares, he vinified his first vintage––just over 2,500 bottles of Erbaluce Metodo Classico. It was released for sale in 1987. This was the debut of the Cieck estate, named after the old farmhouse in Aglié where it all began. Since then, they have moved to the locality of Castagnola, in San Giorgio Canavese.

The winery was one of the original five producers in San Giorgio Canavese, and a number of other top estates in the area consult with Remo today. He works daily in the cellar alongside his daughter, Lia, and agronomist Domenico Caretto, producing some of Alto Piemonte’s most elegant Erbaluce.