Italian Wine Pioneer, Michele Chiarlo, Dies Aged 88
It is with great sadness that Hallgarten & Novum Wines learns of the passing of the passing one of Piedmont's most prestigious winemakers and a producer partner for 25 years, Michele Chiarlo. Chiarlo passed away on the morning of Saturday 18th November, at the age of 88, at his home in Calamandrana, Piedmont.
Jim Wilson, Portfolio Director at Hallgarten Wines commented: “This is a sad day for us at Hallgarten - but also for anyone who loves wine. It has been our privilege to work with Michele Chiarlo for 25 years. As well as being a superlative winemaker and visionary, Michele was such a gentle and unassuming man. He always found time for a chat whenever you visited his beautiful winery, and his eyes would light up when you discussed his wines with him. He leaves a wonderful legacy and his spirit will live on.”
Michele Chiarlo first bottled a wine under his name in 1958 and continued to grow the Michele Chiarlo brand for decades and generations to come, with his two sons, Alberto and Stefano, joining the business in the 1990s. A champion of the Barbera grape, Michele fought for recognition of the Nizza cru which achieved DOCG status in 2014.
Chiarlo was among the founders of the Accademia del Barolo, held the role of president of the Barbera d'Asti and Monferrato wines Consortium and was an integral part of the Istituto del vino italiano di qualità Grandi Marchi, a collection of 19 Italian wine companies whose objective it is to promote top Italian wine in the world.
