I am Marco, she is Swantje. Together we are La Vedetta

A message in the bottle

I am Marco, she is Swantje. Together, we are La Vedetta.

Do you know those messages in the bottle? Wine is like that. Enclosed in its glass chest, it awaits the moment when it reaches the people who will uncork it. Only then will it tell its story. Some wines speak of land, soils and landscapes; some speak of the sun. Some describe the hands that have shaped them, while others tell of the long wait inside the barrels, in the cold silence of the cellars.

“We wanted the wine to talk about something that we know best and that we want to share with others: our story.”

Marco Viglino

A fiery return

My story is that of a comeback. Humanistic studies, a degree in Economics and an internship abroad, where I have worked for some multinational corporations. And in the meantime, my hills were changing. From being a rural province to becoming the center of the world: while wine and truffles were attracting people from all over the world, the landscape of the Langhe has been recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

In Germany, I have met Swantje, my partner, and with her I have started planning my return. I wanted to rediscover the places of my childhood through a project that would have made me most happy: reclaim the family vineyards and put them to good use.

In 2016, I quitted my job and eagerly threw myself into the vineyards. I have started studying, experimenting. With the help of my uncle Michele, who knows the land by heart, and the oenologist Piero Ballario, we create a wine that speaks of my roots, of my love for the Langhe, of the simple complexity of this place.

Swantje Rausch

Captivated by a dream

I was born in a small town in Germany, in the countryside in a province called “Vogelsberg”. “Swantje” means “small swan”, a migratory bird: maybe this is why, since I was a child, I have always wanted to travel the world.

After studying Economics and obtaining a Master’s degree in International Management, I have worked abroad in Asia, falling in love with the diversity of the world. When I met Marco in Germany I have been “captivated” by his dream, that lead me to completely turn my life around, moving from the office to the vineyard.

Creating La Vedetta has been like starting a family: a new place to live; a common project; sharing decisions, hopes, worries and joys every day. At present, I feel lucky: I have blended my passion for food and wine to an outdoor life, immersed in a landscape whose beauty amazes me day after day.

Most of all, I love wine, how it builds relationships. When someone tastes our vintages, I know they get in touch with us, and they understand a bit more of our work, passion and the love that we have put into it. Because the wines of La Vedetta speak of our unique way of being, living and telling the story of the hills of Barbaresco.