La Casaccia embodies the notion of Family Winery better than most: each member of the Rava family contributes to the day’s work with an infectious enthusiasm and joy. Elena and Giovanni met at the University of Torino while working on their agricultural degrees, and were determined to return to Elena’s family lands, those farmed by her parents and grandparents, to raise their children, Margherita and Marcello. The picturesque holdings in Monferrato Casalese, a mere 20 acres of gently rolling hills interspersed with vibrant wildlife, are planted on calcareous sands and chalky limestone: ancient shallow seabed that reflects bright white in the direct Piemontese sun. Organics have always been at the core of Elena and Giovanni’s enterprise: they began certification immediately upon their arrival in 2001 and were fully organic by 2003. Their eco-friendly operation utilizes solar energy, captured rainwater, and even wood stove heating – renewable top to bottom. The acreage is rife with fruit and nut trees (some especially impressive wild cherries included) and all manner of animals. Their cellar, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, is a hand-carved 18th-century relic, a network of tunnels and caves under the estate. It’s dark, still, cold, and yet serene and magically atmospheric in these passages – the perfect place for wine production and storage. Indeed, the lattice of chalk corridors has been used as a winery since it was carved in the 1700’s.