Winemaker
Gianni Vergnano
- Discipline
- Winemaker
- Based in
- Castelnuovo Don Bosco, Italy
i. Biography
Gianni Vergnano founded Cascina Gilli in Castelnuovo Don Bosco, Italy, in 1983, turning a recognition of the land’s potential into a winery devoted to local grapes. The arc began with first releases in the early 1980s and moved toward a focused argument for Freisa, Malvasia, and the native varieties of the Piedmontese hills.
Early Years
Before the estate took shape, Vergnano released his first wines in the early 1980s, concentrating on local Freisa and Malvasia varieties. Those choices set the direction: rather than chase better-known grapes, he worked with wines that he saw as underestimated and wanted to share with a broader public. The beginning was rooted in place. Castelnuovo Don Bosco was not incidental to the project; he started the winery after recognizing the potential of the land around the town, then built his work around what those hills could carry in the glass.
Making a Name
The turn came in 1983, when the founder formalized that idea at the estate. From there, the project combined respect for terroir, tradition, and innovative vision while enhancing native grape varieties of the Piedmontese hills. Recovery became part of the work. At the winery, Vergnano emphasized grape varieties native to the hills around the estate, a focus that contributed to its reputation for Freisa, Barbera, Bonarda, and Malvasia di Castelnuovo Don Bosco. That reputation rests on specificity rather than scale. Freisa and Malvasia were not side notes in his career; they were central to the early wines and to the larger purpose of bringing attention to local varieties that had been undervalued.
The Present
One bottle condenses the approach: Freisa d’Asti Il Forno DOC, made from 100% Freisa from Vigna del Forno, a single-vineyard selection on the estate. It gives the broader story a precise address, linking a grape, a vineyard, and the founder’s long-running attention to the hills around Castelnuovo Don Bosco. As a winemaker, Vergnano’s work remains tied to the estate he began in 1983 and to the native varieties that shaped it from the start. The through-line is clear: first wines built around Freisa and Malvasia, then a winery known for recovering and advancing local Piedmontese grapes.
Profile updated July 2026
FAQ
Asked of Gianni
What is Gianni Vergnano doing now?
He is the winemaker of the Castelnuovo Don Bosco estate he founded in 1983, with work centered on native Piedmontese varieties.
Where else has Gianni Vergnano worked?
His career is centered on the winery he founded, where his work has focused on Freisa, Barbera, Bonarda, and Malvasia di Castelnuovo Don Bosco.
Where did Gianni Vergnano begin their career?
He began by releasing his first wines in the early 1980s, focusing on local Freisa and Malvasia varieties.
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