The Wise Man of Natural Wine
‘You have to dream to reach a specific goal.’ - Lorenzo Corino, at our VeroTalk with him May 16 2020.
The author, Sheila Donohue, meeting Lorenzo Corino for the first time with Antonella Manuli at La Maliosa farm and winery in Maremma Tuscany.
I had the pleasure of meeting Lorenzo Corino in July of 2018 when visiting Antonella Manuli, founder of La Maliosa at her farm and winery in Maremma Tuscany. Prior to my visit, Antonella had mentioned the Metodo Corino to me, a playbook for natural wine production which her and Lorenzo Corino created and patented together, which is how I first came to know of him. Despite living in Italy for 15 years and becoming a sommelier there, I had never come across him prior to that.
So, I met Antonella Manuli bright and early that hot summer day to visit her property. While in her old vine procanico vineyard, listening intently to Antonella, I heard this man on my left, with his dog next him, starting to chime in. His poetic discourse of the intricacies of the natural ecosystem surrounding us had me stop and immediately start filming him. Hence ‘the Lorenzo Corino effect’ - this man was ethereal.
Having been introduced to him as a viticulture researcher, and then finding out that he is from Piedmont, between Alba and Asti, out of curiosity I asked if he made wine too. That set me off on a visit to his estate, Case Corini, 2 months later.
Upon arriving at his homestead, it was like going into a time machine set to 150 years ago. All 6 generations have been there at their home in Costigliole d’Asti (if you include his children Guido and Luisa). Enthralled with seeing antiquities in every corner, I started to inquire, and he showed me around, pointing out his family’s heirlooms; he took out an antique box where he kept his great grandfather, Luigi’s, watches which he made by hand. Luigi enterprisingly realized that old billiard balls would make good material for watch faces. That is how he (literally) carved out his profession. All 6 generations of Corino winegrowers have had a separate main profession aside from winemaking. That, and focusing on natural wine, is what sets them apart from their neighbors.
Lorenzo showing his great grandfather’s handmade watches.
Visiting Case Corini and Lorenzo Corino
So if you first visit the Barolo area before coming to Costigliole d’Asti, Lorenzo’s town, it’s like going from a Disneyland of vineyards, endless row after row, to an authentic country setting with a varied landscape of fruit orchards, trees and gardens with a couple of vines here and there. Completely different. Once I noted this, Lorenzo mentioned that this is a real setting for how agriculture life was ‘way back when.’
Venturing into his vineyards which surround his villa he picks up and shows me the soil, the lifeblood of his old vineyards. ‘Soil is an organism and you should try not to disturb it much’ as he said during our VeroTalk. He made a similar comment saying ‘the best soil is in the forest’ during his presentation at Raw Wine New York in October 2019 where we tasted his Barbera and Nebbiolo wines going back to 1967, when he just took over the winery from his father.
I was fortunate to have met his son Guido and his daughter Luisa on my first visit. Their winery is called ‘Case Corini’ meaning Houses of the Corinos. To taste their wines, I followed Lorenzo and Guido to the ‘basement’ of their villa, which is a cavernous room filled with old large wooden barrels or ‘botti’ of oak, chestnut and maple. Then we tasted right from the barrel, all reds, some barbera, some nebbiolo and some blends barbera/nebbiolo. They were all rich and delicious. Some, like his Barla made from 100 year old Barbera vines, were dry yet with just right amount of residual sugar to trick your mind into thinking it was slightly sweet. Phenomenal for a Barbera.
All of their wines are pretty much made the same way: after harvest, fermentation starts naturally with free run juice. Skin contact continues for 3 - 7 weeks, depending on the wine. Then wine is aged in neutral wooden barrels. This year they introduced an Orange wine to their portfolio, made from a 70 year old Moscato vineyard. Despite it being made from a white grape, it goes through this same winemaking process.
Lorenzo Corino showing his property in Costigliole d’Asti in Piedmont between Alba and Asti.
Words from the Wise Man of Wine
Despite how fantastic Lorenzo’s wines are, it’s his thoughtful responses to questions that count the most.
Some of his other nuggets of wisdom for vignerons or wannabees:
‘Soil is a winery’s capital and should take up over 50% of your invested effort.’
‘Natural means allowing competition.’
‘We need to care more about old vines.’
‘When the plant is stressed, let it relax.’
‘In the cellar you can’t do anything.’
He got you to think and challenged the status quo, based on a lifetime of viticulture research and growing up in a legendary winegrower family. Rewatch our VeroTalk with him and get inspired.
Cin cin, Lorenzo. We will love you forever.
This article is written by Sheila Donohue, Vero Founder, CEO & Sommelier.