The Piedmontese winemaker pulls no punches at the Barbera Summer Festival: “We need to invest to encourage customers to drink. I’ve seen one of my wines that leaves the cellar at 7.70 euros listed at 38 euros. People aren’t crazy. And we producers should reach out more to the end customers.”
“Barbera and red wines in summer? The problem is that the restaurant industry isn’t investing. They don’t have fridges for red wines, which in my opinion should be kept at the right temperature, not served warm as often happens. The other problem is the markups applied in certain restaurants. Some wines have absurd prices: I’ve seen one of my wines that starts at 7.70 euros priced at 38 euros.” Gianluca Morino doesn’t mince words when caught by Winemag in Costigliole d’Asti, at the tasting booths of the final evening of the Barbera Summer Festival 2025.
The winemaker and owner of Cascina Garitina also admits some fault. “Wineries should invest more,” he emphasizes, “and try to get closer to the end customer. We can organize events and create opportunities to meet. It’s hard to say, because the Horeca sector has supported us until now, it has fed us. But we should focus a bit less on certain restaurants and a bit more on wine shops, e-commerce, and winery events. Going directly to the end customer is a valid strategy in this period of wine consumption crisis and uncertainty about the sector’s future.”
In Milan, I certainly can’t tell all restaurateurs, without making due distinctions, that their markup is too high. I know the expenses they have. In some places, they are prohibitive. I don’t know how they stay open. It’s obvious, however, that marking up wine is the easiest way to make a profit. Many are looking at the American model.
Among the markets for the Piedmontese winery led by Gianluca Morino is indeed the United States. “In the US,” the Castel Boglione winemaker points out, “wine consumption in restaurants is declining. This means people prefer to buy a bottle at a wine shop and drink it at home. The same is happening in Switzerland. In restaurants, wine costs insane amounts. Who goes to a restaurant in Switzerland to buy wine? People aren’t crazy. You find the same wine, with a fairly affordable price, on the list at 70-80 francs. These are unsustainable prices, which in their own way contribute to reducing consumption.” However, there are exceptions, even in provincial areas like Asti.
CAMPANARÒ, A VIRTUOUS RESTAURANT IN ASTI: RED WINES ALWAYS CHILLED
At Campanarò, located at Corso Alfieri 36, there is never a shortage of an ice bucket intended to cool down red wines like Barbera. In addition to fridges, the restaurant managed by the Moiso family since 2008 offers a subterranean wine cellar room with an excellent selection of Piedmontese (and other) wines. Serving red wines at the right temperature in summer—meaning chilled—must be the rule. You don’t necessarily need refrigerators if you really don’t want to invest.”
“All you need is a basin and a few very cheap ice packs,” add Duilio Moiso and his son Simone, “the blue ones you can easily buy anywhere for a few euros. And for those who order a bottle, once at the table, it is placed in an equally inexpensive wine cooler, metal chillers that work perfectly and are just as easy to find on the market. This way, wine is drunk (and sold) more.” Seeing is believing.
Red wines in summer? Morino: “Restaurateurs without fridges and sky-high markups”. https://cascinagaritina.it/. https://campanaroristorante.it/.
