On September 27, we celebrated a moment that will go down in Scarpa’s history: our very first Festa della Vendemmia – a harvest celebration held at Poderi Bricchi, right in the heart of the vineyards that have shaped who we are for generations. We chose to mark Scarpa’s 125th anniversary in the most meaningful way possible: by going back to where it all begins, surrounded by the people who make up our world every day.
We asked Silvio Trinchero, Scarpa’s winemaker for nearly two decades, to walk us through that day – and what it meant in a year as special as this one.
Why celebrate this anniversary during harvest, and at Poderi Bricchi?
Because it felt like the most natural choice. Poderi Bricchi is our most important vineyard – 25 hectares in a single stretch between Castel Rocchero and Acqui Terme. It’s the root of our work, the birthplace of our most iconic wines, from La Bogliona to our varietals. Celebrating here, right in the middle of harvest – the moment when everything takes shape – just made sense.
At first, we thought about doing it at the winery in Nizza, but returning to Bricchi meant returning to our origins.
What kind of celebration did you have in mind?
A celebration for us. We wanted something real – a moment of togetherness more than a formal event. That’s why we invited our families, local winegrowers, friends, and people from the community.
The idea was to share this milestone with the people who are part of our everyday story.
What was the atmosphere like at Bricchi that day?
Honestly, more emotional than I expected.
I come here all the time, I know every inch of these vineyards… but seeing them lit up, dressed for the occasion, was different. One moment really stuck with me: seeing Carlo (Castino, editor’s note) walking through the rows, glowing with light. It felt like bringing him back to the center of his story – after all, it was his decision in 1969 to bet on this vineyard.
The celebration came right after harvest. How’s the vintage shaping up?
We wrapped up harvest at Bricchi on September 25 – just two days before the festa, so the timing was perfect.
2025 brought a much steadier growing season than 2024, which was marked by heavy rainfall. This year, winter was mild and dry; spring saw a good mix of rain and mild weather without extremes. Managing the canopy was key to staying balanced through sudden swings in heat and humidity.
Harvest is always a major effort – but this year, we had even more reason to pour our energy into it.
After 125 years, what does harvest mean to Scarpa today? And what values do you think tie the past, present, and future together?
Harvest is still a ritual – it’s the moment you find out whether everything you’ve done all year has come together. For a winery like ours, with 125 years behind it, it’s also a kind of constant – even though no two harvests are ever the same. The tools change, our sensitivities evolve, the climate shifts… but the core meaning stays the same: accepting and following nature’s rhythm.
If I had to name one thing that hasn’t changed, I’d say our capacity to wait.
That’s the value that defines us most – patience in the vineyard, attention to canopy, to soil, to every parcel… and patience in the cellar, where our wines spend years before release. This way of working has been handed down through generations – from Antonio Scarpa to Mario Pesce, to Carlo Castino, and to me – always with the same conviction.
Still, a milestone like this isn’t something you celebrate alone. Our strength lies in the people who make up the team – those who tend the vines, those who work in the cellar, those who welcome visitors, those who care for Poderi Bricchi in every season. They’re the reason we’ve made it past the 125-year mark.
What do I hope people take away from this celebration?
The feeling of a shared journey. That Scarpa isn’t just a name on a label, but a living organism made of stories, faces, everyday gestures.
And 25 years from now?
I hope the spirit stays the same: listen to the vineyard, give wine the time it needs, don’t rush to get somewhere – focus on doing things well.
If we hold on to that, the rest will follow naturally.
