Ugo Lequio
A winemaker without a vineyard of his own
Ugo Lequio is a story of his own. In 1981 he started his own small, almost “garage” winery, without a single vine of his own. Born and raised in Neive as the youngest son of a winemaking family, he knew the area and its best vineyards like no one else. His winery lies close to the famous Gallina hill, home of the historic Cascina Nuova, now owned by the Marcarino family.
Because the family vineyards did not pass to him, Ugo chose a different path: he went in search of the best grapes. He started with Barbera from the Marcarino family and built up a relationship of trust with them over the years. Eventually he managed to convince them to sell him part of their precious Nebbiolo as well. Those grapes used to go to the legendary winemaker Bruno Giacosa.
Ugo does almost everything himself and personally oversees the vineyard work. His grape selection is extremely meticulous and his winemaking decidedly traditional. He also deliberately gives his wines more time than the regulations require. Ageing takes place in large wooden botti, followed by further rest in his cellar in Neive.
That combination of patience, precision and craftsmanship produces wines with depth, structure and a distinct character of their own. Ugo is a true artisan who puts quality before volume and only releases his wines when he feels they are ready.
What appeals to us so much about Ugo Lequio is his drive. He had no vineyard of his own, but he did have the will to make wine himself, and he has followed that through consistently: he chooses every grape himself and oversees every step himself. You can taste that precision in all his wines, including two that we love to highlight.
Kerin O’Keefe of Wine Enthusiast described his Arneis as “a fantastic expression of Arneis” from one of the best, yet still surprisingly little-known producers of the Langhe.
Ugo Lequio is also featured in our Barolo Buying Guide, as an accessible alternative to heavy Barolo.
