Italy · Lombardia · Valtellina

Nestled among the steep, sun-drenched terraces of Valtellina, Ar.Pe.Pe is one of Italy’s most revered Nebbiolo specialists—but their story is far from ordinary. Founded in 1984 by Arturo Pelizzatti Perego, the winery’s name is a clever abbreviation of his own, a nod to both tradition and personal legacy. Today, the estate is run by his children, who continue the family’s slow, patient approach to winemaking, believing that good Nebbiolo simply cannot be rushed.

Unlike Barolo or Barbaresco, Valtellina’s Nebbiolo (Chiavennasca) grows in an extreme landscape. The vineyards, some of which are over 500 meters above sea level, are carved into the mountains, requiring backbreaking manual labor. Here, everything—harvesting, pruning, even carrying grapes in baskets down the slopes—must be done by hand. It’s a true labor of love.

At Ar.Pe.Pe, the focus is on long aging and minimal intervention, with wines spending years (sometimes decades!) in large Slavonian oak barrels before release. Their single-vineyard crus, such as Sassella, Grumello, and Inferno, are named after the dramatic landscapes they come from—Inferno, for example, translates to "Hell," a reference to the vineyard’s scorching heat in summer.

Despite the challenges, Ar.Pe.Pe’s wines have a cult following among Nebbiolo purists, who prize them for their floral elegance, alpine freshness, and age-worthy complexity. Drinking an Ar.Pe.Pe Nebbiolo is like tasting time itself—each bottle tells a story of patience, place, and perseverance.