In the heart of wine-growing Piedmont – in the hills of the Langhe – Fontanafredda was born: an area of 54 hectares of the property of Giacomo Roggeri in Serralunga d’Alba, was registered under the private estate of Vittorio Emanuele II King of Sardinia, in 1858.

The king, who had fallen in love with Rosa Vercellana, also known as “La Bela Rusin”, a commoner and daughter of a drum major at his majesty’s service, gave the entire parcel of land to her, making her Countess of Mirafiori and Fontanfredda a year later. The history of Fontanafredda had begun, but it did not start operating as a business venture until twenty years later, in 1878, thanks to the farsightedness of Emanuele Guerrieri, Count of Mirafiore, son of the king and Bela Rusin, a noble entrepreneur who devoted his life to wine with a very modern approach.

The estate’s noble pastis still evident at Fontanafredda today in the hunting lodge, hamlet, extensive cellars and vineyards, but it continues to innovate and experiment, perfecting what nature and history have handed down. This is why Fontanafredda continues to stand out as a point of reference: the expression of a wine culture that stems from the land and the vineyard, and matures through the work and creativity of men.

The Vineyards

The vineyards of Fontanafredda lie on mostly evenly-contoured, rounded hillsides at altitudes between 200 and 400 metres, in the municipal areas of Serralunga d’Alba, Diano d’Alba, Barolo and Murisengo: in all, 85 hectares, planted mostly with the traditional Nebbiolo, Barbera, Dolcetto and Moscato grape varieties.

The Cellars

At Fontanafredda, beneath high brick vaulted ceilings, the oak casks and steel vats housed in the majestic nineteenth-century cellars accommodate the noble red wines for their ageing, while newer buildings are equipped with all the technology that is essential today to bring out the best in the characteristics of the white and sparkling wines.

The Estate

Fontanafredda is open to visitors every day of the year, offering a wide variety of opportunities, in a magical atmosphere which is a blend of memory and reality, man and nature, land and vine, where, more than ever before, the working rhythm is marked by the changing of the seasons. This is the world of Fontanafredda: the cellars, the village, the Royal Villa and the Wood of Thought, where memories of the first King of Italy and of Countess Rosa are still very much alive.