Everyone knows that all roads lead to Rome, but some people also blaze trails going in the opposite direction. For instance, in 2004 Nino Motta moved with his family from the Eternal City to Gleno above Montagna in order to produce wine there at the Maso Thaler.

Although within that context, the work at the Maso Thaler, which was founded in 1812 and is located at an elevation of more than 600 meters, is anything but a walk in the park. “Our vineyards in Gleno are very steep, many of them are terraced, and just for that reason alone, only work by hand is called for in many locations,” Motta explains. So not only is a lot of sweat necessary to manage the Maso Thaler, heart and passion are also needed.

This passion, the passion for winegrowing, was also what brought Motta here from Rome nearly twenty years ago. Since that time, he and his wife Anna Maria and their sons Filippo, Francesco, and Piergiorgio have tended 3.5 hectares of grape growing areas. Pinot Noir, Gewürztraminer, Sauvignon Blanc, and Chardonnay grow here, all of them supported by Guyot trellises.

But the focus is on Pinot Noir, because Motta believes that the perfect conditions are found here: porphyry soils, high temperature differentials between day and night especially in August and September, and a constant breeze. “All of that together provides for our wines distinguishing themselves through freshness, spiciness, and being able to last long,” Motta says.