A Matter of Labels

The label is much more than a legal obligation: it's a pact of transparency. Here's how to read it, in order of relevance:

1. The Brand: Trust and Responsibility
The choice of a wine begins with the brand. It is essential to prefer companies that identify as producer-growers, meaning those who "put their face to it" by directly tending their own vineyards. Since 1925, the Marenco brand guarantees that behind every bottle is our family and our territory.

2. The Bottler: Who made the wine?
To guarantee the consumer, the bottler's indication is mandatory: an acronym or code often identifies a private label (a purely commercial project). The wording "Produced and bottled by…" indicates that the grapes were vinified in the same winery where they were bottled. The highest level of guarantee is "Wholly produced and bottled by…": this means that even the grapes come from the same farm. This is the case for Marenco wines, "All Estate Wines," produced exclusively from our own vineyards between Strevi and Nizza Monferrato for total supply chain control.

3. The Denomination: the "Collective Mark"
In Italy, we classify wines by grape variety and territory through DOC and DOCG. These are collective marks regulated by the production disciplinary, a document that establishes strict rules: area, permitted grape varieties, alcohol content, yields, and aging. The combination of denomination and producer identifies the specific style of the wine.

4. Certifications: Truth Beyond Words
We chose the 100% Organic system because it requires every practice to be verified by a third party. Despite the challenges of difficult vintages (like the rainy 2024), we continue to refuse herbicides and chemical fertilizers. The Organic logo on the label certifies healthier wines, with 30% less sulfites and zero pesticide residues, protecting those who work in the vineyards and those who consume the wine.

5. Alcohol Content: Balance Beyond the Number
This is a mandatory indication that expresses the percentage of alcohol by volume, but its interpretation changes based on the production philosophy. The harmony of sweet wines: in our Moscato d'Asti and Brachetto d'Acqui, we keep it low, around 5% vol., to preserve the aromas of the grape variety, offering exclusively natural sweetness. The structure of dry wines: the alcohol content usually ranges between 12 and 15 degrees. Our advice is not to give too much weight to this number: in a great red or dry white, what truly matters is the overall balance, drinkability, and cleanliness of the sip.

The label is a useful tool, but it can influence judgment; for this reason, we often taste wines "blind." Feel free to consult the technical data, but always subjectively evaluate the pleasure the glass gives you. De Gustibus!