Fabio Gea is one of a kind. He began in 2009 with just over a hectare of vines inherited from his grandfather. It has not grown much in size since, but it has multiplied in complexity. Ask a simple question about ageing vessels, maceration or vineyard sources and you are likely to receive a ten-minute detour through biofuel production, electrons, porcelain factories in China and, quite possibly, Gea’s own posterior, a topic to which he returns with surprising regularity!

He produces an eye-watering number of cuvées. Some honour his grandfather, more traditional wines that sit within the DOCG framework. Others, which he calls his “dinosaurs”, are looser and more experimental, often bottled in squat, endearingly awkward formats that defy easy stacking.

In the cellar, wood plays a role but rarely the lead. Fabio is more interested in porcelain vessels of his own design, glass demijohns and earthenware. The wines are vivid and charged, whether in the more classical expressions of Nebbiolo or in his bright, lifted Grignolino. Each bottle is finished with handmade paper labels and numbered in pencil, a final touch that feels entirely in keeping with the man. IFYKYK.