Brivio / Gialdi

Back in Mendrisio, his objective was clear: his own wines, which would would stand clearly apart from all others in the canton of Ticino. His family provided strong support, and upon the purchase of a winery in 1989, he was able to begin production and realise his ideas. Such as, for example, maturing the wines in barriques and pressing a white wine from the red Merlot grapes. The Bianco Rovere, which was moreover also matured in barriques, also represented a mini revolution, bordering on blasphemy for some of Ticino’s inhabitants. However, there were others, even though few in number, who supported him right from the outset.

Guido Brivio’s business has grown continuously for more than 25 years. Today, he counts among Switzerland’s most successful wine producers. Since 2001, he shares a joint venture with the just as famous winegrower, Feliciano Gialdi. The winery is located in Mendrisio, at the foot of the Monte Generoso. The cellars are hewn out of the rocks, and these cellars ensure the finest wines, kept in barriques, are kept at a naturally constant temperature. They previously served as larders for a grotto (rustic restaurant), and therefore housed not just wine but also ham, salami, cheese and other foodstuffs. The building next door houses the winery, with its state of the art infrastructure.

Guido Brivio doesn’t own his own vineyard. He works in partnership with winegrowers who supply him with the grapes. Some of these relationships go back decades. Some are professional growers, but other suppliers are families who own just a few rows of vines but cultivate them lovingly. And of course, only the very highest quality grapes are accepted.

These originate from the so-called Sottoceneri, the part of the canton of Ticino that lies to the south of Monte Ceneri. The area comprises the Lugano, Malcantone and Mendrisiotto regions. The soil is chalky and contains a greater proportion of lime than in the Sopraceneri, where predominantly granite stone formations with a low chalk content are found. The climate is influenced by the Alpine region as well as by the nearby Po Valley and Mediterranean sea. Although this area, Switzerland’s sun lounge, with its more than 2000 hours of sunlight a year, counts among the sunniest areas of our country, at the same time, its approximately 1800mm rain a year also makes it the region with the greatest rainfall. Around 1000 hectares are planted with grapes, of which more than 800 are planted with Merlot. This variety of grape, which was only introduced to the southernmost canton at the start of the 20th century, has become Ticino’s true hallmark. However, smaller areas of other white and red grape varieties are also cultivated. Guido Brivio’s range can therefore be seen as a mirror image of Ticino’s vineyard region and people: exciting, diverse, steeped in tradition, modern and likeable.