About Winery and Wines
Le Pianelle is the name of our vineyard in Italy’s northern Piedmont. The foundation was laid when we, Dieter Heuskel and Peter Dipoli, bought the first parcel of land, an abandoned vineyard in Alto Piemonte, in December 2004. Over the years, we were able to acquire more such parcels, now numbering over 50. In 2007/2008, two vineyards were replanted to cover a total of nearly 10 acres. Our grape of choice is Nebbiolo, in addition to two local varieties, Croatina and Vespolina. Just weeks before our first harvest in 2010, we were able to acquire an old house in the historic center of Brusnengo and prepare the cellar for our first yield. It is here that we make our wines: a rosato, Al Posto dei Fiori, and a red Bramaterra. With Le Pianelle, our dream has become reality. Piedmont, located in the northwest of Italy, has its capital in Turin and is home to some of the world’s most prestigious grapes and wines. While in recent times, the best known have come from the southern part of the region, the historic center was located much further north, nestled at the foot of the Alps. Some 100 years ago, nearly 100,000 acres of vineyards stretched between the mountains and the Po Valley. Lessona and Gattinara were the names of world-renowned wines made from Nebbiolo grapes, cousins to their relatives Barolo and Barbaresco in the south. Today, only around 2,500 acres of land remain in production —too attractive were the region’s jobs in the automobile and textiles industries, and too small the vineyards after generations of dividing the land. Today, we are witnessing the renaissance of winemaking in the unique terroir of Alto Piemonte. .
Dozens of crus (DOC/DOCG) are produced in the provinces of Biella, Vercelli, and Novara, Boca, Bramaterra, Coste della Sesia, Gattinara, Ghemme, and Lessona. Our grapes belong to the DOC Bramaterra (red) and Coste della Sesia (rosato). The vineyards are located in the towns of Brusnengo and Roasio, stretching from the rice fields of the Po Valley to a range of hills of 500–650 to 1,800 meters above sea level, which finally reach the peak of Monte Rosa at 4,634 meters above sea level.