Enrico Scavino dies aged 82

Enrico Scavino, ‘Barolo Boy’ and proprietor of Paolo Scavino winery in Piemonte, has died at the age of 82 due to complications from surgery.

 

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Scavino was the grandson of Lorenzo Scavino, who founded the winery in 1921. Enrico Scavino’s father, Paolo, would set up his own winery when the family estate was split in 1943, shortly after Enrico was born. He would begin working in the winery in 1951 at the age of 10.

In 1978, working with his father, he would produce Paolo Scavino’s first single-cru wine, Bric dël Fiasc Barolo, which takes its name from the Piemontese for the top of the south-west facing, limestone soil Fiasco vineyard, which had been part of the family since Lorenzo acquired it in 1921. Today, the winery owns 30 hectares and works over 20 Barolo crus, from Monvigliero in the north to Ravera in the south.

Over time Enrico Scanvino would innovate the estate’s winemaking, including utilising rotofermenters from the 1990s in order to accelerate colour and tannin extraction from the Nebbiolo. He was also reportedly always conscious of making sure that the presence of oak was more subtle in his wines, and that he wanted to show the terroir-driven quality of fruit.

Viticulture was indeed his true passion, as his daughters, Enrica and Elisa told Italian newspaper La Stampa: “He had 72 harvests under his belt, all experienced with the same passion…He was a man of the vineyard, even before that of the cellar: he knew every plant and the secret of every position. He always told us to remember the privilege we had in being born in an area that he defined as ‘blessed by Heaven’ and that he loved deeply.”

His daughters reported that even as he was in hospital near the end of his life, Scavino “did nothing but talk to us about vineyards and the measures we should have taken to further improve our production”.

Among those to pay tribute to Scavino was Barbara Sandrone, second-generation owner of celebrated Barolo producer Sandrone, whose father, the late Luciano, was also a member of the ‘Barolo Boys’, a group of winemakers who unleashed a revolution concerning how ‘the king of wines’ was perceived.

Sandrone sent the following tribute to Scavino to the drinks business:

“I’m here to remember the life of Enrico. My heart is still sore and bleeds at the feeling of going through so much sadness again. Luciano, my dad, passed away only a year ago on 5 January 2023, and now one of his special friends, Enrico Scavino, is gone. A respectful man, mindful viticulturist, attentive winemaker, but also a caring husband and loving dad of two amazing daughters, Enrica and Elisa – my closest friends.”

“But the more I think of him, the more my sadness fades away and the sun shines again, and happy memories recur, ” Sandrone continued. “Like when in the spring of 1981, along with a bunch of wine pioneers, they attended Vinitaly to present their wines to buyers. His wines were enchanting, and it wasn’t so difficult to attract attention.”

Dear Enrica and dear Elisa: your dad was a bright and God-fearing man. He worked with excellence, and he built his life on Godly principles, that we celebrate today. My family, like everyone, loves him and will miss him very much. Dear Enrico: your departure has left a void in our world. Say hi to my loving dad Luciano, and goodbye.”

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