The Piedmont denomination remains a niche, but it’s carving out space among the giants Barolo and Barbaresco thanks to the tenacity of the local community and the “Verduno è uno” association, chaired by Diego Morra. A production and commercial breakthrough that has brought it to 35 hectares under vine and over 200,000 bottles. Three labels to taste.
Verduno is one.
All for Verduno, Verduno for all. There’s no better slogan to sum up the “miracle” of Verduno Pelaverga, a niche grape variety that is increasingly becoming a symbol of the Langhe, stepping out from the shadow of giants like Barolo and Barbaresco. And taking on its own dignity, absolute and distinct. Credit goes to the local community, which since the DOC application in the 1980s has seen the denomination grow beyond expectations. Up to the current 35 hectares under vine—there were 7.25 in 1995—for a total that now consistently exceeds 200,000 bottles, produced by 17 wineries united in the Verduno è uno association.
30 YEARS OF VERDUNO PELAVERGA. IN THE 1970S IT RISKED DISAPPEARING
In November 2025, Verduno Pelaverga DOC will turn 30. But in the 1970s it was at risk of disappearing altogether. “Many were launching campaigns to go work in Alba or Bra—recalls Renata Salvano, deputy mayor of Verduno between 1985 and 2004—. To convince people to stay, we had to come up with something. Verduno, among the Barolo municipalities, was the most marginal. So we tried to enhance what we had: Pelaverga.”
A first producers’ association was founded in 1985, but the enhancement project involving the municipality, winemakers, and farmers had been active well before. Among the earliest traces of the wine-grape variety is the wine list of a Langhe restaurant from 1937, which featured “Pellaverga,” with two l’s. “It was the cheapest wine—former deputy mayor Salvano emphasizes—confirming its role as a staple in everyday family consumption at the time.” Another thing was certain: Pelaverga kept well and was drunk chilled in summer.
Gabriella Prunotto, one of the six historic producers with Castello di Verduno and a town councilor, highlighted the dual path of growth: “Verduno Pelaverga DOC and the social fabric of Verduno grew together, both in production and culturally.” A steady, almost quiet growth, among stronger denominations: “No one thought it had a future, we weren’t a threat. Pelaverga instead became the cavalry, carrying the other wines forward as well.”
THE NUMBERS OF VERDUNO PELAVERGA: HECTARES, PRODUCTION, PRICE
According to a study commissioned to wine industry business consultant Giancarlo Montaldo, the vineyard area has grown from 7.25 hectares in 1995 to the current 35: +382%. Bottle production has increased by 599%, with a leap from 36,750 to 257,000 units between 1995 and 2024.
After 2004, production levels have consistently exceeded 100,000 bottles per year. Reaching over 200,000 in the last four years. There are no significant stocks of Verduno Pelaverga, only normal reserves.
The price of grapes today is €1.80–1.90 per kilo, about half that of Nebbiolo. On the wine front, average bottle prices have risen from €6.05 in 2005 to €16.50 in recent years, with steady growth and sharp acceleration after 2015, net of inflation.
VERDUNO PELAVERGA TODAY: THREE WINES TO TASTE
While the pioneers worked for recognition and survival of the grape variety, today’s protagonists are the founders’ children and new estates that have entered the Langhe scene. They face a different task: consolidating the value of Verduno Pelaverga in an increasingly competitive market, alongside Barolo, a traveling companion that is both imposing and inspiring.
The 17 producers of the Verduno è uno association, chaired by Diego Morra, know this well. Here are three labels not to miss, among the tastings from a 2024 vintage that reveals how much the group of winemakers is working to promote a wine that is not only modern, but above all an authentic expression of the territory where it’s produced.
- Verduno Pelaverga DOC 2024, San Biagio
Elegance, depth, sapidity, typicity. - Verduno Pelaverga DOC 2024 “Speziale,” Fratelli Alessandria
Manifesto of the grape variety. Purity, elegance, refinement. - Verduno Pelaverga DOC 2024, Gian Luca Colombo
The alternative. Vinified in amphora, it preserves the purity of the grape variety and enhances its most balsamic traits.
Verduno Pelaverga, from the brink of extinction to 30 years of DOC in the Langhe. https://www.verdunopelaverga.it/.
