Carema DOC comes from a small Alpine wine area in the far north of Piedmont, close to the border with the Aosta Valley. Its vineyards occupy steep slopes overlooking the Dora Baltea valley, generally facing south and south-west. The landscape is defined by narrow terraces and by the historic “topie” training system: vines are raised high on slender stone pillars connected by horizontal wooden supports. This distinctive structure keeps the canopy above the ground, promotes light and air circulation, and enables the vines to benefit from the warmth retained by the stone.
Soils are predominantly shallow, stony and poor, with gneiss, granite, mica schist and morainic material. Their natural drainage encourages roots to penetrate deep into fissures in the subsoil. The sub-Alpine climate combines cool nights, marked diurnal shifts, drying winds and a long growing season. The sheltered exposure of the terraces is essential, allowing grapes to ripen slowly and fully in an environment otherwise shaped by mountain conditions.
Nebbiolo, traditionally known here as Picotendro, is the leading grape and must account for at least 85 percent of the blend. Limited proportions of other authorised red varieties may complement it. Picotendro produces fragrant, structured wines with firm acidity, pronounced tannins and a frequently mineral, balsamic profile. Harvest is generally late and requires meticulous manual work because of both the gradients and the elevated pergola structures.
Following skin-contact fermentation to extract colour, tannin and aromatic depth, the wines undergo extended maturation. Carema must age for several years before release, with a substantial part of that period spent in wood; Riserva requires a longer ageing regime. Wood is intended not to mask Nebbiolo’s identity, but to refine its tannins and encourage complex notes of dried flowers, spice and woodland. Recognised as a DOC in 1967, Carema preserves a mountain viticultural tradition rooted deeply in local history.
