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Zana isn’t just a vineyard. It’s a project born from research, care, and attention. It is a CRU of the designation NIZZA DOCG.

The long tradition of Marenco wines, rooted in sweet aromatics, has also found expression in the excellence of Barbera, especially starting from the 1970s. A tradition that has always kept pace with the times, so much so that after the creation of the NIZZA DOCG appellation in 2014, formed from a subzone of the Barbera d’Asti appellation, Marenco embarked on a new journey. 

This journey found its first spark in 2019, with the identification of a small vineyard in Castel Boglione (AT), near Nizza Monferrato, part of the cru Zana. One of the highest vineyards in the area, at over 400 meters above sea level, with a southern exposure, predominantly sandy soil, and vines approximately 30 years old.

All essential ingredients for the finesse, elegance, and expressive power that this Barbera unleashes in the glass. 

From this vineyard we produce our Nizza Riserva Zana, which year after year brings us hard work but above all satisfaction.

For Marenco, the hard work is rewarded with quality and the satisfaction of a tradition rooted in passion, dedication, and innovation.

L'articolo ZANA: NON SOLO UNA VIGNA proviene da Marenco Vini.

We live in an era of rapid innovation. Every year, a new car model comes out. Every six months, a new smartwatch promises to change our way of life. A line of perfumes, a new spirit, a limited-edition pair of sneakers: it only takes a few months to go from an idea to a finished product.

But wine—real wine—has a completely different pace. And precisely in this slowness, in the patience needed to bring it to the glass, lies its deepest value.

Pace of the vineyard, not of the factory.

Designing a car takes about 2-3 years. A new smartwatch can hit the market in less than 12 months. A spirit? Sometimes it only takes 6 months to develop a new recipe and bottle it. For a new wine, however, the timeframe is radically different.

There are no shortcuts. There are no prototypes. Only nature exists.

It all starts in the vineyard. A new label is born from an idea, of course—like all products—but then it must pass through the soil, the climate, and the hands of our winemakers. If the wine calls for a grape variety that isn’t already cultivated, new rows must be planted: and here the timeframe increases dramatically. A vine takes about three years to bear its first fruit, but to obtain quality grapes for great wine, at least five to seven years are needed.

At that point, the first vinification can be carried out. Then we taste. We think. We consider whether the wine has personality, balance, elegance. Whether it can truly represent the winery. Whether it is worthy of bearing our name.

Only after these steps—which can last up to 10 years—is bottling possible. Then there’s more time: for aging, to understand the evolution in the bottle, to define the label, the tone of the narrative, its identity. Every detail counts, because a wine isn’t changed every six months. A wine lasts.

The difference between a launch and a story

The time to market for an industrial product is tied to demand and competitiveness. The time to market for a wine, on the other hand, is tied to the rhythm of nature, the identity of the territory, and fidelity to our history.

A new Marenco wine isn’t created to “shock the market,” but to endure, year after year, harvest after harvest. It’s born from intuition, experiments, and trials in the vineyard and cellar. But above all, it stems from a simple idea: to create something meaningful for our territory, for Monferrato, and for those who have chosen us for generations.

And in this sense, we are in no rush.

L'articolo TIME TO MARKET proviene da Marenco Vini.

L’uva non è semplicemente matura o acerba, ma va incontro a un processo molto complesso, che coinvolge fasi anche molto diverse.

Durante la maturazione aumenta la concentrazione di zuccheri, mentre diminuisce gradualmente quella di acidi (la cosiddetta maturazione tecnologica):

per uve destinate alle basi spumante si manterrà un rapporto acidi-zuccheri orientato verso l’acidità; per il nostro Moscato d’Asti invece ci sarà equilibrio.

La maturazione fenolica coinvolge le sostanze appunto fenoliche, ossia gli antociani, responsabili del colore dei grappoli, e i tannini che fungono da antiossidanti naturali. La maturazione aromatica, fondamentale per il nostro Moscato e Brachetto, avviene quando si raggiunge il picco dei terpeni, che donano i profumi unici dei vini Strev, Scrapona e Pineto.

Un territorio è definito vocato alla viticoltura quando le maturazioni tecnologiche, fenoliche ed aromatiche tendono a coincidere.

Quando l’esperienza ci dice che il momento è arrivato vengono raccolti dei campioni per le analisi di laboratorio. In base ai risultati, e all’imprescindibile degustazione degli acini, si procede con la vendemmia vera e propria. Oppure si attende ancora qualche giorno e si ripetono analisi ed assaggi.

Ondate di caldo, temporali, sbalzi di temperatura, stagioni imprevedibili: la raccolta dei preziosi grappoli è una vera sfida che fonda le proprie radici nel lavoro, nell’esperienza e nella scienza. La maturazione perfetta è un attimo, che va assecondato e colto.

Con sapienza Marenco prosegue questo cammino complesso e affascinante.

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Here we are, like every year, our carts are filled with ripe and fragrant bunches of grapes. But not simply ripe. Because to make a good wine, the grapes must reach a specific level of ripeness, depending on the grape variety and the type of wine desired.

Grapes aren’t simply ripe or unripe; they undergo a highly complex process involving many different phases.

During ripening, the sugar concentration increases, while the acid concentration gradually decreases (known as technological ripeness). For grapes intended for sparkling wine bases, the acid-sugar ratio will be maintained, skewing toward acidity; for our Moscato d’Asti, however, there will be a balance.

Phenolic ripeness involves phenolic substances, namely anthocyanins, responsible for the color of the grapes, and tannins, which act as natural antioxidants. Aromatic ripening, crucial for our Moscato and Brachetto, occurs when the terpenes reach their peak, giving the unique aromas of our Strev, Scrapona, and Pineto wines.

A territory is considered suitable for viticulture when technological, phenolic, and aromatic ripeness tend to coincide.

When experience tells us the right moment has arrived, samples are collected for laboratory analysis. Based on the results, and the essential tasting of the grapes, the actual harvest begins.

Or we wait a few more days and repeat the analyses and tastings. Heat waves, storms, temperature swings, unpredictable seasons: harvesting these precious grapes is a true challenge rooted in hard work, experience, and science. Perfect ripeness is a moment, which must be nurtured and embraced. Marenco wisely continues this complex and fascinating journey.

L'articolo L’ATTIMO DELLA VENDEMMIA proviene da Marenco Vini.

Un momento di fondamentale importanza per i viticoltori, che monitorano con cura e costanza questa fase.

L’invaiatura, infatti non è un fenomeno soltanto visivo, ma indica l’inizio e l’evolversi della maturazione del frutto, con la migrazione degli zuccheri dai tralci agli acini e l’accumulo di acido malico e tartarico, nonché dello sviluppo delle sostanze pigmentose nelle bucce:

varietà di uva bianche, infatti, passano dal verde della clorofilla a sfumature gialle e dorate, caratteristiche dei carotenoidi;

varietà a bacca nera sviluppano gli antociani, responsabili delle profonde tonalità rosse e tendenti al viola, nonché potenti antiossidanti naturali.

A seconda del vitigno cambia l’epoca dell’invaiatura. Nelle nostre valli a Strevi il primo a colorarsi è il Brachetto.

La tradizione contadina conta circa 40 giorni dall’inizio dell’invaiatura per vendemmiare. E, nonostante le tecniche moderne ci permettano di iniziare la raccolta delle uve al momento più opportuno, l’invaiatura segna in ogni caso l’inizio del conto alla rovescia: un’altra vendemmia Marenco, la centesima, sta per arrivare.

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It is always worth enjoying a refreshing stroll through the vineyards, regardless of the season. And every moment of the year offers different landscapes. Now the lush vineyards start to blend in different shades: it is time for veraison, when the grapes start to change color.

An essential moment for winemakers, who monitor with care and perseverance this phase.

Veraison, in fact, isn’t just a visual phenomenon, but it indicates the beginning and progression of the grape ripening, with the migration of sugar from the shoots to the berries and the accumulation of tartaric and malic acids, as well as the development of the pigments in the skins:

white grape varieties fade from clorophyll green to yellow and golden tones, typical of carotenoids;

red varieties develop anthocyanins, responsible for the deep red and purple hues, which are also powerful antioxidants.

The timing of veraison varies depending on the grape variety. In our valleys in Strevi the first to become colorful is Brachetto.

Rural tradition counts about 40 days from the start of veraison to harvest. And, although mordern techniques allow us to begin harvesting at the most suitable time, veraison nevertheless marks the start of the count down: another Marenco harvest, the hundtredth, is about to arrive.

L'articolo L’INVAIATURA proviene da Marenco Vini.

All’epoca non ottenne grande clamore, infatti i caratteri ampelografici, enologici e produttivi di questo vitigno furono approfonditi solo attraverso studi successivi e fu iscritta nel Registro Nazionale delle varietà di vite nel 1977.

Ulteriori studi genetici hanno poi dimostrato che uno dei due  genitori dell’Albarossa in realtà non è il Nebbiolo, ma lo Chatus, conosciuto anche con il nome di Nebbiolo di Dronero, dal nome del comune alpino in provincia di Cuneo. Si ritiene che ci sia stato un errore in fase di impollinazione, dovuto forse alla somiglianza fra i nomi di questi due vitigni.

Proprio grazie all’unione di questi due vitigni, l’Albarossa esprime un vino di grande personalità, dal colore profondo e note fruttate che si fondono con spezie e sentori tostati. Un vino dalle ottime potenzialità di invecchiamento e dall’ampia versatilità in gastronomia.

Fu la nostra enologa, Patrizia Marenco, che partecipando anch’essa agli studi, piantò una fra le prime vigne di Albarossa in Piemonte, nel 2001.

Anno dopo anno questa vigna in cima alla collina ci dona grandi soddisfazioni ed emozioni, un luogo dal quale osserviamo tramonti e albe rosse, stagione dopo stagione.

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Not many know the grape variety Albarossa. And even less know its history. An indigenous red grape from Piedmont, Albarossa was created in 1938 by the piedmontese ampelographer and agronomist Giovanni Dalmasso, with the aim of developing a new variety which would combine the qualities of Nebbiolo and Barbera. Its name (litterally “red dawn”) is a tribute to the piedmontese town of Alba, place where Professor Dalmasso conducted his studies.

At the time this variety did not attract much attention. In fact, the ampelographic, oenological and productive characteristics were analized in depth only in subsequent studies and it was officially registered in the National Vine Variety Register in 1977.

Further genetic studies later evidenced that one of Albarossa‘s two parents  is not Nebbiolo, but Chatus, also called “Nebbiolo di Dronero”, named after the alpine town in the province of Cuneo. It is belived that a mistake occured during the pollination phase, possibly due to the similarity between the names of these two vines.

Precisely due to the combination of these two varieties, Albarossa produces a wine with great personality, deep color and fruity notes that blend with spicy ad toasted aromas. It is a wine with excellent aging potential and remarkable  gastronomic versatility.

It was our wine maker, Patrizia Marenco, who also took part in the aforementioned studies, who planted one of the very first Albarossa vineyards in Piedmont in 2001.

Year after year this vineyard on top of the hill brings great satisfaction and emotion, a place where we witness red sunsets and red dawns, season after season.

L'articolo ALBAROSSA: STORIA DI UN VITIGNO proviene da Marenco Vini.

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Work in the vineyards never stops. This is especially true during this period, the time of green pruning. The vine is a plant and, as such, a living being that requires care, attention and passion.

At this time, it is entering the peak of its vegetative development, with vigorous growth of the leaf system.

This is when green pruning plays a crucial role; it is an essential agronomic practice aimed at controlling the plant’s growth in order to improve its health and optimize the productivity and quality of the harvest.

These are targeted and delicate interventions, mostly manual.

The goal is to remove shoots that grow with too much vigor and speed. In this way, the plant will not waste valuable resources, which will instead be used to develop the most precious part: the grape.

With the same aim of improving the plant’s energy distribution, the shoots that grow at the base of the vine (suckers), the double shoots, and in a later phase the secondary shoots (side shoots) are eliminated.

Furthermore, green pruning allows a better management of sunlight exposure of the grapes. Direct sunlight on the grapes has always been crucial for the development and quality of the fruits.

However, in recent years, with rising temperatures and the lengthening of the summer seasons, the removal of green leaves is adjusted based on seasonal trends and temperature fluctuations. The higher the temperatures rise, the more crucial it becomes to preserve the intrinsic taste and olfactory qualities of our grapes.

Finally, topping is carried out, which is the cutting of the terminal part of the shoots. This practice helps prevent them from growing chaotically and extending beyond the support structures. Overall, along with the other green pruning practices, it contributes to better air circulation, preventing moisture stagnation that could favor the development of fungal diseases.

With wisdom, patience, and tenacity, Marenco mediates between nature and science along a continuous cycle, the vegetative and vital cycle of the vine.

L'articolo LA POTATURA VERDE proviene da Marenco Vini.

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At Marenco, we always emphasize that the Scrapona vineyard is our pride and joy, our most precious cru; it is from there that the project for an important Moscato of Strevi began a century ago.

But why is Scrapona so unique? The Strevi area is renowned for its distinctive characteristics linked to the influence of the Mediterranean Sea, the Ligurian Apennines, and the geological formation of white marl, which give the Moscato of Strevi a perfect balance of acidity, minerality, sweetness, and fragrance.

However, the Scrapona vineyard is itself a unique case:

In 1996, about 24,000 vines were replanted on an area of approximately 6 hectares; for each vine, worm humus was manually added as a natural fertilizer to help the plants root as best as possible.

Each vine was obtained through massal selection from the pre-existing vines on the hill. This is how the genetic and aromatic heritage of Scrapona’s grapes has been preserved until today.

Furthermore, the vineyard is constantly studied: with its southwest exposure, it was possible to divide it into 7 plots, where distinct cultivation techniques are applied. This allows us to observe, study, and monitor the climate changes, sustainability, and health of our grapes year after year, in order to continually improve.

Therefore, Scrapona is not just the hill of memories, the symbol of the beginning of a journey that is still ongoing, but also a tangible testament to a viticultural past of great value, which, while keeping pace with the times, continues to preserve its excellence.

L'articolo LA VIGNA SCRAPONA E IL MOSCATO MARENCO proviene da Marenco Vini.

The vine has been cultivated for millennia. Its domestication dates back about 11,000 years, developing in parallel with the advent of agriculture.

Over the centuries, many peoples adopted different cultivation techniques (and thus pruning methods): from the creeping vines of the Caucasian peoples to the Egyptian pergola, from the Etruscan vine trellises to the bush vine and spurred cordon techniques of the Greeks, which were later spread by the Romans throughout Europe.

A legend tells that it was the Egyptians who first began pruning, noticing that the vine branches nibbled by goats regrew more vigorously.

Marenco has always adopted the Guyot pruning method, a technique of Greek origin aimed at producing a small quantity of high-quality grapes.

The best time for this operation is in the winter, specifically after the leaves have fallen and before the so-called “vine planting” occurs.

Wrapped in a veil of melancholic mystery, this expression refers to a phenomenon that is anything but depressing. In fact, it is a natural event in which nature awakens after winter, even before the buds open.

Once the leaves have fallen in autumn, the vine slows down its vital activities in preparation for the cold season. When temperatures start to rise again, the sap begins to circulate once more: the pressure increases at the root system, giving momentum to the circulation and causing crystalline sap to flow from the cuts made by the pruning shears, dripping like tears from the eyes.

This sap is not only a sign of the plant’s vitality but also acts as a natural healer, preventing pathogens from attacking the wound.

After Guyot pruning, the shoot chosen by the pruner as the new fruiting head is tied to the trellis wire, which will hold it in position during the summer season.

Walking through our hills at this time of year, it’s not uncommon to spot groups of vine-tie workers who, accompanied by the “crying” of the vine—a symbol of a new cycle and a new beginning—gift the hillside breezes with their chants, anecdotes, and laughter.

L'articolo IL PIANTO DELLA VITE proviene da Marenco Vini.

Noi produttori abbiamo la grande fortuna di avere clienti attenti, ai quali oggi più che mai interessa conoscere meglio come lavoriamo.

Negli ultimi 30 anni è cambiato il paradigma. La stessa parola vino si è evoluta, e la bevanda tanto cara ai nostri nonni oggi è un concerto di cultura, territori, personalità, emozioni, diversità.

Grazie all’esperienza, alle competenze, e alla cura delle uve, siamo passati da un’enologia di correzione ad una di espressione.

Ben venga quindi l’uso moderato di solfiti. Per un’azienda come la nostra, che ha il controllo delle proprie uve e del proprio processo, non è difficile questo percorso. Lo facciamo da anni.

Quello che dobbiamo essere bravi a comunicare, sono i vari aspetti positivi che pratichiamo in vigna e in cantina, e che finalmente il consumatore ha voglia di scoprire. Questo è il dito dietro il quale noi non vogliamo nasconderci!

Secondo la normativa UE, gli elementi chimici, residui di fitofarmarci, che possono essere riscontrati e ammessi fino a certi limiti in un vino convenzionale sono più di 500. Nessuno di questi  prodotti viene mai riscontrato nei nostri vini.

In vigna e in cantina, infatti, non usiamo prodotti che possono lasciare residui chimici dannosi nell’uva e nel vino. E grazie alle nostre certificazioni possiamo garantire questo aspetto a chi ci sceglie.

Siamo felici di questo risultato? Si, anche se lo riteniamo un percorso più che un arrivo. Abbiamo ancora tanto da fare, ma solo credendoci, provandoci e imparando possiamo migliorare.

E sempre grazie a chi, come te che hai letto fino a qui, vede oltre il dito!

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Which other food product receives as much attention as wine?

As winemakers, we are fortunate to have attentive customers who today, more than ever, are interested in understanding the way we work.

Over the past 30 years, the paradigm has changed. The word “wine” has evolved, and the beverage that was so dear to our grandparents is now a symphony of culture, territories, personalities, emotions, and diversity.

Thanks to experience, expertise, and care for the grapes, we have moved from a corrective winegrowing approach to one focused on expression.

Therefore, the moderate use of sulphites is welcome. For a company like ours, which controls its own grapes and its own process, this path is not difficult. We have been doing it for years.

What we need to be good at communicating are the various positive aspects we practice in the vineyard and cellar, aspects that, finally, consumers are eager to discover. This is the “finger” behind which we do not want to hide!

According to EU regulations, the number of chemicals and pesticide residues that can be found and allowed up to certain limits in conventional wine is more than 500. None of these substances are ever found in our wines.

In the vineyard and cellar, we do not use products that may leave harmful chemical residues in the grapes and wine. Thanks to our certifications, we can guarantee this to those who choose us.

Are we happy with this result? Yes, although we see it as a journey rather than a destination. We still have a lot to do, but only by believing in it, trying, and learning can we improve.

And always, thanks to those like you, who have read this far, for seeing beyond the finger!

L'articolo I SOLFITI E IL DITO proviene da Marenco Vini.

Come tanti all’epoca possedevano un piccolo appezzamento vitato ciascuno:  Michele porta in dote la vigna “Marchesa”, dalla quale ancora oggi ricaviamo il nostro Dolcetto d’Acqui.

Dalla loro unione nacque il progetto di un Moscato di Strevi importante, che potesse raccontare la personalità e la bellezza di questa terra. Acquistarono così insieme la Vigna Scrapona, oggi il cru più pregiato di Marenco Vini, e da lì iniziò un cammino che avrebbe scritto una pagina indelebile nella storia della famiglia e del Moscato di Strevi.

Il loro unico figlio Giuseppe, negli anni ’70 fino ai ’90, plasmò la Marenco di oggi. Grazie alla sua personalità schietta e alla visione lungimirante i vini a marchio Marenco conquistarono le tavole delle famiglie italiane.

Ogni lira guadagnata fu reinvestita in azienda permettendo a Marenco di acquisire i vigneti più belli e vocati tra Strevi e Nizza Monferrato.

Gli anni 90 furono gli anni della svolta qualitativa del vino italiano.  Marenco anticipò i tempi. In quegli anni, infatti, vennero individuati i vigneti migliori e creati i vini della linea “Cascine”. Ai già presenti Scrapona e Marchesa si affiancarono il Pineto, la Bassina e la Ciresa, i Passrì.

La scelta si rivelò vincente, tanto che negli anni 2000 i vini Marenco si affacciarono al mercato internazionale. Sempre rivolti verso clienti attenti, che ricercano valori sinceri e piacevolezza.

Negli anni 2010 partì un’altra svolta importante, frutto delle scelte ecosostenibili sempre attuate in vigneto. Venne avviata la conversione a biologico di tutta l’azienda. Un percorso virtuoso che continuerà  sia in vigneto che in cantina.

Sono passati 100 anni, ma ciò che non è mai cambiato è la passione che la Famiglia Marenco nutre per il territorio, la vite, il vino e i propri clienti.

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It was February 19th 1925, in Strevi, when Michele Marenco and Margherita Scovazzi got married. They were more vineyard neighbours rather than home neighbours, and it is exactely how they met.

Like many people at the time, each of them owned a small piece of land cropped with vines: Michele brought vineyard “Marchesa” as a dowery, from which we still produce our Dolcetto d’Acqui.

From their union a project of an important Moscato of Strevi was created, which could tell the beauty and personality of this territory. Together, they purchased the Scrapona vineyard, today one of the most refined crus of Marenco Vini, and from there began a journey that would have written an indelible page in the history of the family and Moscato of Strevi.

Their only son Giuseppe, in the ’70s up until the ‘90s, shaped the Marenco you know today. Due to his sincere and forward – thinking personality, the Marenco brand wines conquered the Italian families.

Each single earned coin would get reinvested in the business, allowing Marenco to purchase the most beautiful and most suitable vineyards between Strevi and Nizza Monferrato.

The ‘90s were the years of the qualitative breakthrough for Italian wine.  Marenco was ahead of the times. In those years, the best vineyards were identified and the “Cascine” (Farmsteads) wine line was created. Alongside the already existing Scrapona and Marchesa, new additions were made: Pineto, Bassina, Ciresa, and Passrì.

This choice proved to be successful, that much that in the 2000s, Marenco wines entered the international market. Always aimed at discerning customers who seek genuine values and pleasantness.

In the 2010s, another important turning point began, the result of the sustainable choices always carried out in the vineyard. The conversion to organic farming was initiated for the entire company. A virtuous path that will continue both in the vineyard and in the cellar.

100 years have passed, but what has never changed is the passion that the Marenco family has for the land, the vine, the wine, and their customers.

L'articolo 100 VENDEMMIE, 4 GENERAZIONI proviene da Marenco Vini.