Elio Grasso

Considered ‘a modern traditionalist’, Elio Grasso has some of the finest terroir in Barolo in his 18 hectares of vineyard and in 40 years has established himself as one of the region’s greats.

Elio Grasso established his winery in the township of Monforte d’Alba in 1978. A self-confessed ‘disciple’ of Aldo Conterno, the Conterno sons helped Elio initially with advice and winemaking assistance. While a relative newcomer to the industry (while his father owned land in the region, Elio himself had left for Turin to become a banker), the quality of his wines was high enough to take advantage of the boom in interest in the region from American importers. This in turn allowed them to invest in the winery and focus on the vineyards, ensuring the highest quality of fruit possible.

With his son Gianluca, Elio has made a point of staying away from the battle between traditionalists and modernists when it came to the style of wine being made, and while investing in new technology he also maintained a relatively traditional approach to his winemaking. Grasso vinifies and bottles his Barolo crus separately in order to showcase terroir in a Burgundian fashion.