Winemaker
Roberto Dellavalle
- Discipline
- Winemaker
- Based in
- Asti, Italy
i. Biography
The Climb
Since 1983, Roberto Dellavalle has been winemaker of Distilleria Dellavalle, and the work has been one of continuity rather than reinvention. A long tenure in the same house means the style can be built slowly, corrected carefully, and kept coherent over time. Today, that role still sits with him, and the value is in the steadiness: the kind of authorship that shows up in repeated decisions, not one-off gestures.
Today
At Distilleria Dellavalle, aging is the defining step, where raw spirit is moved into a more layered register through barrel work. The grappas mature in barrels previously used for Marsala, Passito di Pantelleria, Port, Whisky, Picolit, and Malvasia delle Lipari, so the cellar is built on reuse and sequence rather than neutral storage. Each cask brings a prior history into the process, and the house style comes from that exchange between distillate and barrel. The result is described as velvety, appealing, and complex: a profile shaped by time, texture, and the controlled accumulation of influence.
Signature
Roberto's signature wines include Affinata in botti da Rum Demerara 2007 Dellavalle 70 cl., Affinata in botti di Malvasia delle Lipari Dellavalle, and Terre Antiche' Grappa di Barbera Barrique. The names point to a clear grammar of maturation, with the cask treated as part of the composition rather than a neutral vessel. Across these expressions, the emphasis stays on restraint, structure, and the way aging can refine identity without flattening it. Dellavalle’s style is legible in that discipline and in the consistency of the house’s approach to barrel influence.
Recognition
The central distinction in Dellavalle’s career is the sustained authorship of an Asti grappa house founded in 1983 and built around barrel maturation across multiple prior wine and spirit traditions. Roberto Dellavalle’s recognition comes from that duration: a career defined less by isolated attention than by the steady formation of a house style over decades. In a trade where time does part of the work, his record is tied to continuity, and to the ability to keep shaping the same language without losing control of it.
Profile updated August 2026
FAQ
Asked of Roberto
What is Roberto Dellavalle's current role?
As of 2026, Roberto Dellavalle is Winemaker.
What is Roberto Dellavalle known for?
Produces grappa using aging as a hallmark, including maturation in barrels previously used for Marsala, Passito di Pantelleria, Port, Whisky, Picolit, and Malvasia delle Lipari; the grappas are described as velvety, appealing, and complex.
