Marchesi di Grésy

Marchesi di Grésy traces its origins to centuries of Piedmontese landownership, but its modern identity began in 1973, when Alberto di Grésy transformed the family's agricultural holdings into an independent winery. Centered on the historic Martinenga vineyard in Barbaresco, the estate developed an international reputation through its distinctive expressions of Nebbiolo, particularly Martinenga, Camp Gros, and Gaiun. Today, the family business encompasses four properties across the Langhe and Monferrato, with the next generation involved in management, hospitality, and environmental initiatives. Its history illustrates the changing relationship between agricultural inheritance and wine production, and the work required to preserve the character of a vineyard while continually reconsidering how it is cultivated.

Marchesi di Grésy and the Making of a Family Wine Legacy

In the hills of Piedmont, an aristocratic family spent nearly two centuries cultivating one of Barbaresco’s most distinguished vineyards before deciding to make wine under its own name. The history of Marchesi di Grésy is a story of inherited land, agricultural ambition, and the generations who transformed an established estate into an internationally recognized winery.

In the hills above the Tanaro River, where rows of Nebbiolo follow the contours of the Piedmontese landscape, a natural amphitheater of vines surrounds the historic Martinenga estate. The vineyard has belonged to the di Grésy family since 1797, passing through generations of aristocratic landowners, agricultural managers, and, eventually, winemakers. Yet the wine that made the family's name internationally recognizable is comparatively young. For much of its history, Martinenga produced grapes for other winemakers, its considerable reputation belonging as much to the land as to those who cultivated it. Only in 1973 did Alberto Cisa Asinari di Grésy begin producing wine under the family name, establishing what is now Marchesi di Grésy, one of the distinctive family-owned estates in the Barbaresco appellation.¹

The difference between the age of the property and the age of the winery is central to understanding its history. Known formally as Tenute Cisa Asinari dei Marchesi di Grésy, the enterprise occupies a place in Piedmontese wine culture shaped by centuries of ownership, the agricultural traditions of the Langhe, and a more recent commitment to expressing the character of individual vineyards. Today, its holdings extend across four estates in the Langhe and Monferrato, with Martinenga remaining the center of production and the source of its most celebrated wines. The family's continuing involvement has given the business an uncommon continuity, even as the purpose and management of the properties have changed considerably over time.²

The Origins of an Aristocratic Estate

The di Grésy family's association with Piedmont reaches well beyond the nineteenth century. Its full name, Cisa Asinari di Grésy, reflects a lineage connected to the aristocracy of the former Savoy territories, where noble families held agricultural property alongside political and social responsibilities. The title Marchese, or marquis, survives in the winery's name, although the family's modern reputation rests primarily on the vineyards it has cultivated. At Monte Aribaldo, a hilltop property extending toward the village of Treiso, the family traces its ownership to the middle of the seventeenth century. Its own historical account identifies 1650, while an independent wine-history account places the acquisition in 1635. The discrepancy remains unresolved, but both accounts establish that the family's involvement in the region predates its ownership of Martinenga by more than a century.³

Martinenga entered the family's holdings in 1797, during a period of considerable political upheaval in northern Italy. The French Revolutionary Wars were transforming the territories associated with the House of Savoy, disrupting established political arrangements and altering the circumstances under which land passed between aristocratic families. Although the precise legal mechanism of Martinenga's transfer remains uncertain in published accounts, the year itself is consistently documented. Over the generations that followed, the property became an established agricultural enterprise whose reputation derived from the quality of its grapes. The family possessed a site that would eventually become central to the commercial identity of Barbaresco, but the development of an independent winery remained almost two centuries away.⁴

Agricultural production in the Langhe historically involved considerably more than wine. Farms commonly maintained livestock, vegetables, fruit trees, and vineyards, with households relying on a combination of activities to support their operations. The di Grésy estates followed this broader agricultural model, selling grapes to established producers rather than making and marketing finished wines themselves. The arrangement reflected the economic structure of a region in which owning a respected vineyard did not necessarily mean operating a winery. Martinenga's grapes were already valued by local producers, and a contemporary American account published in 1986 reported that the vineyard had served as a pricing reference for Nebbiolo until 1955.⁵

The history of the estate also reveals the contribution of an earlier generation whose work receives comparatively little attention in conventional accounts of its founding. In 1959, a severe hailstorm damaged Martinenga, prompting Alberto's mother, Maria Lenzi di Grésy, to replant the vineyard. Her decision restored the agricultural foundation of the property, although the family continued selling its grapes. Reported in the Los Angeles Times in 1986, the episode provides a valuable perspective on the years immediately preceding Alberto's entry into winemaking. It establishes that the vineyard's recovery and subsequent transformation were connected to decisions made across generations, with Maria's stewardship preceding the creation of the modern business.⁵

Alberto di Grésy and a New Direction

By the late 1960s, Alberto di Grésy had begun assuming responsibility for the family's agricultural holdings. Raised with an understanding of the vineyards and their surrounding farms, he also brought a formal business education to the enterprise, having studied at Bocconi University in Milan. The question confronting him was whether the family should continue selling grapes from an established vineyard or take responsibility for producing, bottling, and distributing its own wines. The second option required investment in facilities and expertise, along with the development of a commercial reputation beyond the local grape market. It also offered the opportunity to exercise greater control over how Martinenga's fruit would be interpreted and presented.⁶

In 1973, Alberto made that transition, establishing independent production under the Marchesi di Grésy name. The decision coincided with important changes throughout Barbaresco, where producers were increasingly concentrating on estate-grown wines and the identity of individual vineyards. The appellation had received Denominazione di Origine Controllata recognition in 1966, establishing a regulatory framework intended to protect the geographical origin and production standards of its wines. By 1980, Barbaresco would receive the more stringent DOCG designation. These developments occurred during a period in which producers and regional organizations were building the international reputation of Nebbiolo and bringing greater attention to the distinctive growing conditions of the Langhe.⁷

Alberto's contribution was to establish a commercial identity for wine that had previously entered the market through other producers. The first estate wines included Barbaresco Martinenga, a Langhe Nebbiolo from Martinenga, and Dolcetto d'Alba from Monte Aribaldo. Rather than restricting production entirely to the family's most prestigious grapes, the developing portfolio reflected the different properties and varieties under its control. From the beginning, the intention was to produce wines whose character could be connected to their vineyard origins. Over the following decades, that principle informed the expansion of the estate's offerings and the decisions that would distinguish Martinenga from other Barbaresco producers.⁸

The winery's early international reputation developed alongside the growing recognition of Barbaresco itself. By March 1986, the Los Angeles Times was describing Alberto's wines as unusually approachable examples of a region often associated with tannic, long-aging reds. The report considered his Barbaresco in the context of established fine-wine traditions in Bordeaux and Burgundy, demonstrating how quickly his work had attracted attention outside Italy. That reception was particularly significant for a producer whose first independent vintage had been made only thirteen years earlier.⁵

Martinenga and the Character of Place

Martinenga occupies an exceptional position within the Barbaresco appellation. Approximately twelve hectares of vines form a south-facing amphitheater surrounding the winery, with elevations, exposures, and soil conditions varying across the slope. The wider property measures nearly twenty-four hectares and contains additional plantings beyond the principal Nebbiolo vineyard. Limestone and the blue marl characteristic of the Langhe contribute to its soils, while the vineyard's geography places it between two other distinguished Barbaresco growing areas, Asili and Rabajà. The resulting landscape has long attracted attention for the way its natural formation influences the cultivation and maturation of Nebbiolo.¹

Its ownership is equally distinctive. Martinenga is recognized as a Menzione Geografica Aggiuntiva, or officially designated additional geographical mention, within Barbaresco. The vineyard's Barbaresco production is controlled by a single family-owned estate, making it an unusual example of a monopole in a region where celebrated vineyard names often appear on wines produced by several different growers. This exclusivity has made the relationship between Martinenga and Marchesi di Grésy particularly close. The vineyard's reputation, agricultural management, and interpretation in the cellar remain associated with one producer, rather than being distributed among competing expressions from different estates.¹

As Alberto gained experience vinifying Martinenga's fruit, he became increasingly attentive to differences within the vineyard itself. The natural amphitheater offered variations in elevation, exposure, and soil composition that produced distinct expressions of Nebbiolo. In 1978, the estate introduced Camp Gros Martinenga, a selection from the eastern portion of the vineyard, near Rabajà. Four years later, in 1982, Gaiun Martinenga emerged from the western side, toward Asili. These selections gave the winery three Barbaresco wines from one historical property, each intended to represent the character of a particular growing area.⁸

Camp Gros became associated with the more structured and age-worthy expression of Martinenga, produced as a Riserva in suitable vintages. Gaiun offered a different interpretation, while the principal Martinenga bottling continued to represent the broader character of the vineyard. The distinction marked an important development in the estate's history. Alberto had initially established a winery to produce wine from family-owned grapes; within a decade, he was identifying differences among parcels within the same vineyard and giving them separate identities. The progression reflected a growing understanding of site-specific viticulture and reinforced the importance of Martinenga as the estate's defining asset.⁹

Winemaking techniques were developed to support these distinctions. Stainless-steel fermentation provides control over temperature and extraction, while maturation in French and Slavonian oak allows the wines to develop before bottling. Technical descriptions of Camp Gros, for example, have documented periods in French oak barriques followed by larger Slavonian oak casks and additional bottle aging. The methods differ among wines and have evolved over time, reflecting the estate's willingness to employ contemporary technology while retaining elements of traditional Piedmontese production. The central objective remains the expression of Nebbiolo grown in a particular place, rather than the pursuit of a uniform house style across all vineyards.¹⁰

A Family Business Across Four Estates

Although Martinenga defines the winery's international reputation, Marchesi di Grésy has always been associated with a broader agricultural landscape. Its four principal estates extend between the Langhe and Monferrato, allowing the family to cultivate different grape varieties under distinct growing conditions. Monte Aribaldo, near Treiso, is associated with Dolcetto and white varieties, including Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc. Farther east, in the Monferrato district around Cassine, the La Serra and Monte Colombo properties support plantings that include Barbera, Moscato, and Merlot. Together, the holdings demonstrate the estate's commercial breadth beyond its celebrated Barbaresco bottlings.²

The different properties also reveal the historical relationships through which the family assembled its agricultural holdings. An account published through the ProWein trade fair associates the vineyards around Cassine with Alberto's grandmother, Giulia Pellizzari, who reportedly brought them into the family through her marriage. Such details suggest that the estate developed through inheritance and marital connections as well as agricultural investment. They also place the family's wine business within a longer history of Piedmontese landownership, in which individual properties were accumulated, maintained, and transferred through successive generations.³

The business that emerged from those holdings has expanded considerably since 1973. Its portfolio includes traditional Piedmontese varieties alongside Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, and blends incorporating international grapes. This diversity supports wines intended for different occasions and price points, with Martinenga remaining the source of the estate's most prestigious bottlings. American importer Dalla Terra identifies the estate as a family-owned producer and names Matteo Sasso among its winemaking personnel. The presence of specialist staff illustrates the professional organization supporting a winery whose public identity remains closely associated with the owning family.¹¹

An interview published in 2019 offers a useful glimpse into its operations. At the time, Marchesi di Grésy reported employing fifteen people across its vineyards, cellar, warehouse, and offices. Those roles encompass the practical work required to maintain an agricultural business, from vineyard management and production to inventory, administration, and distribution. The detail also places the family's ownership in perspective. The estate's continuity depends on skilled employees and agricultural labor as well as the decisions of its proprietors, particularly as its vineyards and international commercial relationships have expanded.¹²

Villa Giulia and the Life of the Estate

The architectural history of the family's properties offers another perspective on the estate's development. At Monte Aribaldo, Villa Giulia stands within a landscape associated with generations of family residence and agriculture. Historical accounts identify the villa as an early twentieth-century property connected to Marchese Carlo di Grésy and his wife, Giulia Pellizzari. Its architectural character has been described in relation to the Italian Liberty movement, the country's interpretation of Art Nouveau. Positioned above the vineyards, the residence reflects an earlier conception of the agricultural estate, in which family life, leisure, and land management existed within the same property.³

Nearby, an older farmhouse eventually became the foundation of a different kind of family enterprise. In 2016, the di Grésy family began developing plans to restore the building as a hospitality property. The project, now known as Dai Grésy in Langa, retained significant elements of the historic structure, including its vaulted brick cellar, while introducing contemporary accommodation and spaces for wine tasting. The family describes the property's origins as partly uncertain, acknowledging that the original builders are unknown despite its longstanding ownership of the land. The restoration was conceived around the relationship between the existing architecture and the surrounding vineyards, preserving the agricultural setting rather than replacing it with an unrelated development.¹³

The project reflects changes in the way historic wine estates engage with visitors. Properties once maintained primarily for private family use and agricultural production now increasingly include spaces for hospitality, education, and direct encounters with the wines themselves. At Monte Aribaldo, the restored farmhouse allows visitors to experience a part of the estate beyond its commercial cellar. Its architecture, landscape, and historical associations give the family another means of presenting the region and the business that has grown from its agricultural holdings.

The Next Generation

In 2013, Alberto's children Alessandro and Ludovica joined the business, beginning a new stage in its management. Their involvement followed four decades in which Alberto had established the winery, developed the Martinenga selections, expanded its portfolio, and built international recognition. The next generation entered an enterprise with a well-defined identity but also the responsibilities associated with maintaining agricultural property, managing employees, and sustaining relationships with distributors and restaurants abroad. Accounts of their work have emphasized commercial representation and participation in the estate's management, including appearances at international wine tastings.⁸

For a family-owned producer, succession involves more than transferring a recognizable name. The business must maintain the consistency of its wines while responding to changes in labor, distribution, consumer preferences, and agricultural conditions. Alessandro and Ludovica's participation has helped extend the estate's public presence beyond Italy, particularly through the relationships that connect smaller European producers with international restaurants and wine merchants. Their involvement also reflects a broader change in the family's role. Earlier generations managed agricultural property whose grapes were sold to other producers; Alberto established an independent winery; the contemporary generation works within a business whose reputation now extends well beyond the Langhe.¹¹

The management of that business increasingly includes questions of environmental responsibility. Marchesi di Grésy has invested in an underground aging cellar designed to limit its impact on the surrounding landscape while taking advantage of the earth's natural insulating properties. Solar panels installed around the cellar and parking areas contribute to the estate's electricity production, and aromatic gardens have been planted near the winery to encourage biodiversity. These measures form part of the producer's stated sustainability program, although its broader environmental performance cannot be measured solely through the existence of individual projects.¹⁴

One of its most substantive initiatives is an experimental Nebbiolo vineyard at Martinenga. The estate reports maintaining approximately 2,600 square meters planted with eleven different Nebbiolo clones, studied in collaboration with agronomists and researchers associated with Italy's National Research Council. The work examines differences among the clones and their responses to changing environmental conditions. As the Langhe confronts warmer growing seasons and increasingly variable weather, such research carries practical importance for the future of a grape whose character is closely connected to its climate and place of cultivation.¹⁴

The Future of Martinenga

The di Grésy family's history has been shaped by decisions made at different moments in the life of the same properties. The acquisition of Martinenga in 1797 established an inheritance that would remain agricultural for generations. Maria Lenzi di Grésy's restoration of the vineyard after the 1959 hailstorm helped maintain its productive future. Alberto's decision to begin independent winemaking in 1973 created a commercial identity for grapes already recognized for their quality, and his subsequent development of Camp Gros and Gaiun brought greater attention to the differences within Martinenga itself. The arrival of Alessandro and Ludovica introduced another generation to the responsibilities of managing the business.⁵ ⁸

The estate's future will depend partly on the same questions that have defined its past: how to maintain the quality of its vineyards, how to interpret the character of the wines, and how to adapt inherited property to contemporary circumstances. Environmental research, cellar investment, hospitality, and international distribution are now part of that work. Yet Martinenga remains the center of the enterprise, its geographic identity and ownership closely connected after more than two centuries. The vineyard that once supplied grapes to other producers has become the source of a family winery whose history is inseparable from the land it cultivates.

References

1. Marchesi di Grésy. (n.d.). Martinenga. https://www.marchesidigresy.com/en/martinenga

2. Marchesi di Grésy. (n.d.). Le tenute. https://www.marchesidigresy.com/en/letenute

3. ProWein. (2012). Martinenga tasting notes from past vintages. https://www.prowein.com/en/Media_News/Academy/Insights_Trends/ProWein_News/Archive/MARTINENGA_TASTING_NOTES_FROM_PAST_VINTAGES

4. Marchesi di Grésy. (n.d.). Martinenga. https://www.marchesidigresy.com/en/martinenga

5. Chroman, N. (1986, March 20). Barbarescos: Italian wine with early maturity. Los Angeles Times. https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1986-03-20-fo-21841-story.html

6. Seminario Veronelli. (2021, February 18). Marchesi di Grésy. https://www.seminarioveronelli.com/2021/marchesi-di-gresy/

7. Enoteca Regionale del Barbaresco. (n.d.). History. https://www.enotecadelbarbaresco.it/en/storia

8. Quill & Pad. (2023, August 16). Marchesi di Grésy Italian wines: Rates among Barbaresco's greatest grand crus. https://quillandpad.com/2023/08/16/marchesi-di-gresy-italian-wines-rates-among-barbarescos-greatest-grand-crus/

9. Marchesi di Grésy. (n.d.). Martinenga vineyard descriptions. https://www.marchesidigresy.com/en/martinenga

10. Grandi Cru d'Italia. (2017). Grandi Cru d'Italia auction catalogue. https://www.grandicruditalia.com/download/vinitaly-2017-asta/Grandi-Cru-dItalia-Auctions-Catalogue-complete_2017.pdf

11. Dalla Terra. (n.d.). Marchesi di Grésy. https://www.dallaterra.com/producer/marchesi-di-gresy/wines

12. Io Bevo Tanto. (2019, October 16). Intervista: Marchesi di Grésy, Barbaresco. https://www.iobevotanto.it/2019/10/16/intervista-marchesi-di-gresy/

13. Dai Grésy in Langa. (n.d.). About. https://daigresy.com/en/about

14. Marchesi di Grésy. (n.d.). Sustainability. https://www.marchesidigresy.com/en/sostenibilita