Collection: Lodali

Three generations in Treiso – from tradition to new precision in Barbaresco and Barolo

Lodali is a family-owned winery with deep roots in Treiso in the heart of Langhe. The story begins with Giovanni Lodali, who in the 1930s made wine for the guests at his small restaurant in the village, which was much smaller and less known than it is today.

Giovanni's philosophy was simple and uncompromising:
“We need the best grapes - there is wine everywhere here, and if we don't make the right choices, people will go elsewhere.”
This approach has since been a cornerstone of the family's work.

From Giovanni to Lorenzo and Mamma Rita

After the war, Giovanni built a house and cellar in Treiso and laid the foundation for the family's wine production. In 1955, his son Lorenzo graduated as an oenologist from the school in Alba, and already in 1958, he - together with his wife Rita, known as Mamma Rita - produced the family's first Barbaresco and Barolo.

The wines quickly found their way outside Italy, and Lodali established itself as a serious name in the area. When Lorenzo died in 1982, Rita was left alone with the then three-year-old Walter. Against all expectations, she decided to continue the project and focused uncompromisingly on quality and the classic expressions of Barbaresco and Barolo. As a female winemaker, she was an exception at the time - and a crucial figure in Lodali's history.

Walter Lodali and the transformation

Walter Lodali graduated as an oenologist in Alba in 1998 and gradually took over responsibility for the winery. He modernized the cellar, improved work in the vineyards, and further developed production on the family's most important parcels, including Bricco Sant’Ambrogio and Rocche dei Sette Fratelli.

For many years, Walter worked with consultants and produced darker and more powerful wines, typical of the time. But around 2017, he made a decisive decision: He wanted to take full responsibility for the wines himself and focus solely on work in the vineyard and cellar.

The result has been a remarkable transformation. Where the wines were previously characterized by power and extraction, they now exude finesse, balance, and clarity. The change has happened gradually - but consistently - and has elevated Lodali to a new level.

Vineyards, cellar, and range

Lodali today manages approximately 18 hectares of vineyards and supplements with grapes from carefully selected producers. The cellar is modern and well-equipped with quality barrels, and the work is characterized by precision rather than intervention.

The range is broad and includes barbera d’Alba, langhe nebbiolo, chardonnay, roero arneis, as well as Barbaresco and Barolo. The wines are organized into three distinct lines:

The classic wines - including Barbaresco Rocche dei 7 Fratelli and Barolo Bricco Ambrogio - which are fermented in cement without submerged cap maceration and matured in large oak barrels.

The Lorens line, [Lurenz] named after Walter's father, comes from older vineyards. The wines are fermented in cement with submerged cap maceration and also aged in cement, giving a clean and transparent expression.

Riserva, with Barbaresco Rocche Massalupo as the flagship, is vinified in neutral tonneaux with submerged cap maceration, a small proportion of whole clusters, and manual stirring. The wines are aged for three years in barrels with minimal racking.

Rocche Massalupo is an area in Barbaresco that is increasingly attracting attention - not least through Lodali's work.

Recognition and present

Lodali's significant quality improvement has attracted broad international attention. Antonio Galloni from Vinous has repeatedly highlighted the transformation as one of the most remarkable in Piemonte in recent years and points to the wines for their finesse, balance, and much clearer expression of terroir. Galloni describes the wines as “truly special” and recommends rediscovering Lodali today.

Lodali at Copenhagen Wine

For us, Lodali is a textbook example of how respect for tradition and the courage to change can go hand in hand. A winery that is close to our hearts and that beautifully demonstrates remarkably high quality across the entire range.