Barolo en primeur sets a new record: charity auction raises 1.14 million
Over the course of six editions, the fundraising campaign organised by the Fondazione Crc Donare Ets and the Fondazione Cassa di Risparmio di Cuneo, in collaboration with the Consorzio di Tutela Barolo Barbaresco Alba Langhe e Dogliani, has raised 5,674,800 to support more than 120 charitable initiatives
Once again this year, the Barolo en primeur auction set a new record, raising €1,140,500 for charity.
The following were judged at the auction 14 barriques of Barolo Gustava from the 2025 vintage, vinified individually by oenologist Donato Lanati, each of which will yield 270 bottles; 7 municipal lots of Barolo and Barbaresco donated by 39 wineries belonging to the Consortium – 681 bottles totalling over 660 litres of wine – with a new feature of this edition: 31 historic bottles, with vintages dating back as far as 1996. All the en primeur bottles, made unique by the label featuring the artwork “Paisaje de vino” by the Venezuelan artist Sol Calero, will be delivered to their new owners in 2029, once the ageing period stipulated by the production regulations has been completed.
The bids were brought down by the auctioneer’s gavel wielded by Cristiano De Lorenzo, director of Christie’s Italia, during an evening punctuated by appearances from comedian Federico Basso, who hosted the auction.
The project has thus brought the total amount raised since 2021 to 5,674,800 euros in support of more than 120 initiatives in the health, social, educational and cultural sectors, according to the organisers. But that’s not all: the event continues on Sunday 8 November, when the fifteenth barrique of Barolo en primeur will be auctioned during the World White Truffle of Alba Auction, again at Grinzane Cavour Castle, via a live link with Hong Kong.
Among the projects supported by the sixth edition of the initiative promoted by Fondazione Crc Donare Ets and Fondazione Cassa di Risparmio di Cuneo in collaboration with the Consorzio di Tutela Barolo Barbaresco Alba Langhe e Dogliani, are: the Accademia della Vigna, run by the social enterprise We.Co., which operates in the wine sector of Alba, Langhe and Roero to promote skills development, social inclusion and a regional model that combines production of excellence with social sustainability; and the launch of a temporary night-time shelter service, set up in premises provided by the Municipality of Alba, aimed at homeless people and seasonal workers without permanent accommodation, starting with those working in the vineyards.
Meanwhile, the initiatives funded by money raised in previous editions are yielding tangible results. Examples include the 66,000 euros donated to Cascina Aquilone Ets, thanks to which 18 young people with severe disabilities have embarked on pathways to independence at the “Ohana” school, with accommodation where they learn to run a household, do the shopping and cook, and four work placements in local businesses, one of which could lead to a permanent job.
Meanwhile, Castello di Rivoli Museum of Contemporary Art received 125,000 euros (raised during the first three editions), which were used to organise workshops in schools in the suburbs and to launch integration projects through art in neighbourhoods with large numbers of foreign students.
Thanks to the 35,000 allocated to the Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights Italia Foundation, it was possible to set up a free 250-hour course for care workers aimed at people in vulnerable situations, which has now become a permanent feature of the Foundation’s programme. The donation also led to a long-term partnership with the company that had supported the project at auction.
