The village of Barolo lies in the centre of the Langhe, the most prestigious wine-growing area in Piedmont. Though its history dates back to even older times, the village’s name first appeared in a historical document from 1200. It is surrounded by the magnificent, vine-covered hills where the great wine named after it is grown: Barolo. Lodovico Borgogno’s family lives and works here in Barolo, on their “Borgognot” estate. The family has owned vineyards in Barolo since 1720, and have always attached particular importance to the work carried out in the vineyards and the selection of only the best grapes.

The passion for these hills has also infected Lodovico’s daughter, Virna. After completing her studies in enology at the winemaking school in Alba in 1988, she joined her father Lodovico in the running of the family farm, and three years later she became the first woman in Italy to graduate with a first class honors degree in winemaking techniques from Turin University. In 2001 the company image was given a facelift, with the introduction of the Virna logo on the label – also signifying the fact that Virna had become proprietor and head winemaker. With her sister Ivana helping out on the bureaucratic and tax side of the business, the new look set out to highlight the role played by the women in the company, and in particular the fact that behind the wines were people who were investing all their know-how and commitment.

Today the Virna estate stretches out over an area of around 12 hectares, producing wines from grapes grown on its own vineyards located in historic crus in the Barolo wine-making area such as Cannubi Boschis, Preda, Sarmassa, I Merli, San Giovanni, and Costa delle Rose. As well as Barolo itself, the company also produces Dolcetto d’Alba, Barbera d’Alba, Nebbiolo d’Alba, and a blend known simply as Langhe.

The winery tries to respect the land and the vineyards and to work carefully, minimizing the mechanical and chemical treatments, with the goal of healthy grapes for high quality wines. They are are moving towards the elimination of weed control in vineyards and practice between-row planting and controlled fertilization with only organic ingredients and only when necessary.

Their philosophy is to produce wines with their own character, well-rooted in the terroir, with respect for the whole vineyard. They try to interpret the potential of the Barolo terroir to produce wines that express elegance and a style that represents the region. Though the wines are from different crus, each one represents the heritage and tradition of the Barolo region.