– AOSTA VALLEY
Cave Monaja
A boutique winery at the foothills of Europe’s highest peaks.
– AOSTA VALLEY
Cave Monaja
A boutique winery at the foothills of Europe’s highest peaks.
A project that could be defined as ‘sustainable’ but which, as its creator likes to say — winemaker Chul Kyu Peloso (Andrea to his friends),
who has Korean roots but solid foundations among the peaks of Valle d’Aosta — is simply a matter of ‘common sense’.
A project that could be defined as ‘sustainable’ but which, as its creator likes to say — winemaker Chul Kyu Peloso (Andrea to his friends), who has Korean roots but solid foundations among the peaks of Valle d’Aosta — is simply a matter of ‘common sense’.
A passionate winemaker and his visionary project to rescue old vines that were at risk of being lost. Cave Monaja is the first winery in Valle d’Aosta to have undertaken the ‘VIVA’ sustainability certification process for viticulture, promoted by the Ministry of Ecological Transition. Furthermore, all the vineyards are grass-covered to create a highly fertile substrate, which benefits the entire ecosystem. The estate’s core values driving Andrea are dedication and hard work: reclaiming old, uncultivated, and abandoned vineyards to give life to wines that truly elevate the local territory.
Common-sense
viticulture.
A passionate winemaker and his visionary project to rescue old vines that were at risk of being lost. Cave Monaja is the first winery in Valle d’Aosta to have undertaken the ‘VIVA’ sustainability certification process for viticulture, promoted by the Ministry of Ecological Transition. Furthermore, all the vineyards are grass-covered to create a highly fertile substrate, which benefits the entire ecosystem. The estate’s core values driving Andrea are dedication and hard work: reclaiming old, uncultivated, and abandoned vineyards to give life to wines that truly elevate the local territory.
Common-sense
viticulture.
Honoring time
and tradition.
During fermentation, temperature management is a matter of fine balance. Small stainless steel tanks allow for a natural dissipation of heat and, when a more decisive intervention is needed, things go back to basics by wrapping the tanks in wet sheets.
It is an ancient, sustainable, and zero-impact method that fits perfectly with the artisanal scale of Cave Monaja. The choice of yeasts also reflects this philosophy of utmost respect for the raw material. For the more delicate white wines, only selected ‘neutral’ strains are used, capable of preserving the purity and original aromatic identity of the grapes. For the reds, however, the process relies entirely on indigenous yeasts naturally present on the skins, thereby enhancing the deep connection with the terroir. No shortcuts are taken in the cellar: the wines are unfiltered, relying instead on the cold for a completely natural decantation, before being bottled strictly by gravity. It is precisely this artisanal attention to detail that makes the difference, reflecting the winemaker’s profound respect for his products. Finally, the process concludes without any rush, dedicating a long period of bottle aging in the cellar before release.
Honoring time
and tradition.
During fermentation, temperature management is a matter of fine balance. Small stainless steel tanks allow for a natural dissipation of heat and, when a more decisive intervention is needed, things go back to basics by wrapping the tanks in wet sheets.
It is an ancient, sustainable, and zero-impact method that fits perfectly with the artisanal scale of Cave Monaja. The choice of yeasts also reflects this philosophy of utmost respect for the raw material. For the more delicate white wines, only selected ‘neutral’ strains are used, capable of preserving the purity and original aromatic identity of the grapes. For the reds, however, the process relies entirely on indigenous yeasts naturally present on the skins, thereby enhancing the deep connection with the terroir. No shortcuts are taken in the cellar: the wines are unfiltered, relying instead on the cold for a completely natural decantation, before being bottled strictly by gravity. It is precisely this artisanal attention to detail that makes the difference, reflecting the winemaker’s profound respect for his products. Finally, the process concludes without any rush, dedicating a long period of bottle aging in the cellar before release.
