A native of Barbaresco, Giuseppe Cortese began a lifelong passion for winemaking by working with his father Giacomo in the family business. Before running his own winery, Giuseppe Cortese served as cellar master and vineyard manager for some of Piedmont’s most prestigious wineries. During this time, he gained invaluable knowledge of the Nebbiolo grape and learned how to maximize its potential in and around the Barbaresco area.
After several years of experience, he realized the future of high-quality Barbaresco wines was in developing the potential of the terroir. With this in mind, Giuseppe began re-orienting the family’s wine business and remodeling the winery, improving winemaking techniques, and purchasing new land, in particular in the famous Rabajà site, one of the best vineyards in the Barbaresco area.
Today, Cortese is the typical small, family owned winery, which is run by Giuseppe’s children: Pier Carlo, in charge of winemaking, and Tiziana, who plays an active roles in the commercial aspects and public relations. Giuseppe’s son-in-law Gabriele has also joined them in the family business.
Attentive, rigorous care of the estate’s vineyards, strict selection of the best clusters, a traditional approach to winemaking and a gentle hand with modern techniques are the ingredients that define the unmistakable personality and unique identity of Cortese’s wines. All this attention to detail yields wines of incredible depth and balance, with a finesse that rewards the patient consumer.
