“Barolo en primeur” 2022: a huge success that raised 769.800 euros in favor of solidarity projects

Generous philanthropists in the room as well as participants connected by phone from New York, donated 769.800 euros at the second edition of “Barolo en primeur”. The great solidarity auction, which was held on October 28th at the Grinzane Cavour Castle in the Langhe Unesco Heritage, has been promoted and organized by the Cassa di Risparmio di Cuneo Foundation, and CRC Donare ETS Foundation in collaboration with the Barolo Barbaresco Alba Langhe and Dogliani Protection Consortium. Fourteen Barolo barriques from the 2021 harvest from the Gustava vineyard on the slopes of the Castle, which had belonged to Camillo Benso Conte di Cavour and is now owned by the CRC Foundation, were donated. From each of the barriques - when the mandatory aging period is over, expected in 2025 - there will be 300 unique bottles marked with a numbered label, created for the occasion by the International artist, Michelangelo Pistoletto. Additionally, the more than 1.200 prestigious bottles of Barolo and Barbaresco - divided into 10 lots based on the municipality of production - which 70 wine producers, members of the Consortium, made available to the auction free-of-charge, to contribute to raising funds for of the Oenological School in Alba, were awarded to 10 further subscribers.
The result of the solidarity auction, conducted by the director of Christie’s Italia, Cristiano De Lorenzo, thus raised almost 170.000 euros more compared to the over 600,000 euros raised in the first edition initiative in October 2021 (and an additional 60.000 euros for lot 15 sold at the “World Alba White Truffle Auction” in November 2021), will be entirely donated to non-profit projects. Out of the 24 lots auctioned, 5 lots were sold to participants present live in New York and Hong Kong.
Lot number 23 sold for a record 45.000 euros, while also the special 500-liter lot — equivalent to about 660 bottles of wine that Ezio Raviola, president of the CRC Foundation, added at the end of the auction — sold for the extraordinary amount of 175.000 euros. In addition to this, the municipal lots of the wine producers were sold at figures that almost doubled the auction bases overall.
Donato Lanati, one of the leading International experts in the sector, vinified the wine from the barriques of “Barolo en primeur” at Enosis Meraviglia, while Antonio Galloni, the wine critic and CEO of “Vinous” judged the wine and assigned scores averaging from 92 to 94. He also coined the NFT (Non Fungible Token), a digital certificate of authenticity guaranteed via blockchain, which will be attached to each bottle.
Seven of the 14 barriques sold at the charity auction have already been associated to beneficiaries, while those who were awarded the other 7 barriques have yet to decide who to allocate the funds to. In detail, “Barolo en primeur” has chosen to support a project to promote and recover the knowledge and landscape of the Alta Langa, the so-called “Banca del Fare”, promoted by the Matrice ETS Foundation; the “Nega-so” project, which pursues the objective of reflecting on migratory flows and encouraging integration promoted by Liberitutti Social Cooperative; the restoration and enhancement project of Villa Arconati’s historic cellar, promoted by the Augusto Rancilio Foundation; the “The energy of art, between nature, science and technology” project, a path towards contemporary art and sustainability, promoted by Castello di Rivoli - Museum of Contemporary Art; the “CivicAttiva” Project, which proposes active citizenship paths to schools to stimulate young people to change and sustainability, promoted by the Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights Foundation; the “New forms of life” project to educate children between 5 and 12 about cultural heritage, promoted by the Sandretto Re Rebaudengo Foundation; and finally, the “Neighborhood schools - Reloaded” project, which supports students in social and behavioral difficulties adopting innovative pedagogical methods, promoted by the Lunetica Social Cooperative.
“This second edition of “Barolo en primeur” has just ended and has been confirmed at the highest level, which gives us great satisfaction,” Ezio Raviola, president of the Cassa di Risparmio di Cuneo Foundation commented, “participation of both Italian and foreign philanthropists is growing, territorial roots are growing, the number of projects supported is growing and proceeds for social purposes are growing. It is therefore a more than a positive sign that encourages us to continue in the same direction. The challenge is now projected towards the future and the next edition, to expand the audience of donors-buyers and support, and of non-profit organizations”.
“A large number of investors interested in fine wines”, adds Matteo Ascheri, President of the Consorzio Barolo Barbaresco Langhe Alba Dogliani, “is an extraordinary result, and represents a solid basis on which to start the growing involvement of Barolo and Barbaresco producers in developing this project that is only in its second edition. Plus, it is also the signal that the preview sales model can, and must, be a value perspective for Barolo and Barbaresco, wines known and appreciated all over the world, which will thus pave the way and preside over the en primeur market that is still not well developed in Italy”.
Bids for “Barolo en Primeur” will close on November 13th, during the “World Alba White Truffle Auction”, to be held at the Castle of Grinzane Cavour and in live streaming with Hong Kong. The last barrique, number 15 from Vigna Gustava, will be auctioned, and the proceeds will be donated to the International charity “Mother’s Choice”, which has been operating since 1987 in favor of orphaned children and young mothers in trouble.