A Journey Across Time: Tracing My Ancestor's Adventures in Wine

Located about thirty miles north of Milan on the shores of Lake Como, the village of Argegno sits frozen in time. It’s hard to imagine that the sleepy hamlet—a lesser-known alternative to the region’s buzzier tourist hubs—was once an important stop along a network of trade routes and military fortifications that stretched across the Alps, connecting Lombardy and neighboring Piedmont to the rest of Europe.

Sometime between March 1714 and April 1715, a young wine merchant named Andrea Francesco Scotti—my sixth great grandfather— followed one of those routes, emigrating from his hometown in Argegno to the town of Gernsheim in the Rheinhessen, a region known for its viticulture. Andrea’s older brother, Giacomo, lived in Strasbourg, about 100 miles south of Gernsheim. While the specific route he followed is unknown, it’s reasonable to believe Andrea would have stopped in Strasbourg to see his brother.

Or so I speculated as I pored over a map spread across my dining room table, my finger tracing the route from Argegno to Gernsheim. It was 2021 and my decades-long passion for documenting my genealogical heritage had been put on hold due to the pandemic. While in non-Covid times, I might’ve hopped on a plane to walk in the footsteps of my ancestors (as I’ve done on other occasions before), this time I was forced to piece together my family’s history the more conventional way—through maps, notes, anecdotes, and surviving records.

I had first learned of Andrea on a trip to Germany 25 years ago. It was on that journey that I discovered my family’s rich history in wine. Some of my ancestors owned and cultivated vineyards throughout the Rheinhessen, while others were merchants, like Andrea, who likely worked various trade routes independently or under contract with specific wine houses.

Curious to learn more about Andrea—specifically the journey he took and even the type of wine he was transporting—I studied the map and read about the most popular trade routes in the 18th century. Doing so allowed me to recreate what I believe was his path: traveling west to Piedmont from Argegno, turning north toward the peak of Monte Rosa, crossing the Alps via the Simplon and Lötschberg Passes (through Switzerland) to reach Strasbourg, then traveling on to Gernsheim. The arduous trip would have lasted at least two months. I believe that this was the only time Andrea took this particular journey as records indicate that after arriving, he only applied his trade in Gernsheim and nearby Landau—an important commercial center to the wine industry still in existence today.

I imagined what it must have been like to cross such daunting wilderness by foot and gaze upon the alpine topography of Piedmont for the first time, not knowing what to expect. Indeed, the northern Piedmont with its sharply ascending elevation also makes it the last geographic location in the region where viticulture is possible. Along this path is where Andrea likely encountered vineyards of the native varietal Nebbiolo. Did he stop to conduct business or have a drink? Did he take swigs along the way?

Pondering these questions fascinated me. Yet, I knew that the most meaningful way to connect with Andrea was through our shared passion: wine. So, with the help of my friends Richard Haynes, Tim Roach, and Drew Anderson at Chapel Hill Wine Company, we spent an October afternoon on a virtual adventure, bottle-hopping through Piedmont in search of a wine that captured the essence of his trip.

After studying a map, we narrowed in on the Boca appellation nestled in the foothills of Monte Rosa which we all agreed was the best candidate to represent the land upon which Andrea would have trod. Here, “winds from the Alps, glacial lakes, and highly acidic, iron-rich soil all combine to produce Nebbiolo-based wines that are high in acid, earthy, and long-lived.” (1)

We pulled the 2013 Le Piane Boca from the rack. Wanting to get a visual on the wine’s origins, I Googled the winery to reveal photos of Nebbiolo on an ascending hillside, each vine growing up a single post, canopies wild and full. A rustic building with gabled roof and sun-baked, red clay tiles sat in the distance protecting cellared barrels—a vivid reminder of old-world tradition. Andrea would have been familiar with this scene, even if he hadn’t crossed here. Our search was complete!

Le Piane Winery, Boca, Italy. Photo Credit: Le Piane Winery

Back at home, I popped open the bottle with my 11-year-old son, who watched intently despite not being old enough to enjoy the wine. Still, I wanted him to be part of the experience, so I shared what I knew about our ancestor as I carefully twisted the corkscrew. Pulling the cork, I wondered if Andrea’s daughter, Rosina (little rose), who was born not long after he settled in Gernsheim, ever watched her father taste wine while listening to his story, just as my son was doing in this special moment three centuries later.

At last, it was time to connect and taste the wine that evoked Andrea’s journey as he made his way over the Alps—the crisp mountain air he breathed, the warm sunshine and cooling rain upon his shoulders, and the rugged, ancient soils upon the path which took him north. In my glass, the delicate fragrance of herbs and rose gave way to flavors reminiscent of minerals, earth, leather, black cherry, and a subtle acid of citrus fruit. A savory finish brought forth thoughts of Andrea walking confidently as alpine passes eventually gave way to lowland meadows, finally bringing him to the fertile banks of the Rhine.

“What does it taste like, dad?” my son asked me expectantly.

“One day, I’ll take you to the Piedmont and you can taste this for yourself,” I replied with a smile.

- 🍇 -

About the Wine: 2013 Le Piane Boca, Boca, Province of Novara, Piedmont, Italy. Bouquet of herbs and rose; flavors of minerals, earth, leather, and black cherry; acid of citrus fruit; polished tannins compliment a balanced, lightly savory finish. Released in 2019, varietals of Nebbiolo (85%) and Vespolina (15%) grown in multiple vineyards for a total growth surface of 4.5 hectares (11.1 acres), including 30 to 50-year-old vines in some locations; others planted between 1998-2004. Vines grown in predominantly mineral-rich, porphyry gravel. Alcohol: 12.5%. 750 cases produced. Learn more about extraordinary winemaker Christoph Künzli in a recent Forbes interview!

Author’s Note: A very special thanks to my editor, Siobhan Reid, for helping bring Andrea’s journey to life, Thomas Zimmerman whose genealogical research allowed me to connect the dots, and Richard Haynes, Tim Roach and Drew Anderson at Chapel Hill Wine Company for their expertise and enthusiasm of this adventure.

Credits:

(1) Haynes, R. (2021, October 5). One of the Great Wines of Italy. Chapel Hill Wine Company Newsletter. www.chapelhillwinecompany.com/newsletters/. Retrieved October 8, 2021.

“Monte Rosa at Sunrise” (Banner Photo) © [gio_tto] / Adobe Stock

“Le Piane” (Story Photo) © Le Piane Winery