The name Cavallini has been present in Fara, a small village that gives name to the southernmost wine district of Alto Piemonte, for over 500 years. Damiano is the last family member in a long tradition of winemakers, beginning with his grandfather who, together with his wife, was working as a sharecropper at the village castle. After the end of world war II, they decided to purchase some land in the vicinity of the fortress and build a small cellar for vinification and aging. For the most part, the wine would get sold in bulk with the exception of a cru called Caramino, which was the only cuvee to be bottled. Today, the south-western exposed flanks of Caramino and Motto del Lupo are regarded as the most representative terroirs in Fara and they represent the crown jewel of the Cavallini estate.
In 2016, after having been far from home to pursue his studies in Milan, Damiano decided it was time to move back to his native Fara and resume the family business. At that time his grandmother was in charge of the vineyard operations but she was no longer vinifying her grapes, selling them instead to local producers.
Since the beginning, Damiano has been a sort of custodian of local traditions (like the local training system called Meggiorina) and the family’s precious vineyard land, focusing on growing the local varieties of Spanna (local name of Nebbiolo), Uva Rara, Vespolina, Erbaluce. The deep, passionate love for his land is the main force behind Damiano’s never-ending effort in modernizing the cellar and planting new vineyards, in this sliver of land between Milan and Turin, nestled between unspoiled valleys and framed by the jagged peaks of the Alps. Damiano has an intimate knowledge of the Fara terroir, a place where the heterogeneity of the soil has always pushed vine growers to match the right grape variety to the right soil type, leading to a profound local knowledge, passed down from generation to generation.
Damiano’s approach in the vineyard and in the cellar is guided by tradition, implemented by organic practices and a deep respect for the environment. All of his vineyard plots are interspersed with dense wooded areas to promote biodiversity and grass grows freely between the rows of vines.
