History
“We know that the oldest house on the property is from the turn of the last century; from year 1800 and thus being more than 200 years old. The house is quite typical of the time; the farmer’s quarters occupy one end of the house while the stable, barn, shed and hayloft would be in the opposite end. The name itself, Desderi, derives from the word desiderio, which can be translated to a strong wish… even desire or passion. We really liked the name and saw no reason to change it; we hope that lots of potential visitors wish to visit, and that they eventually will feel a desire and passion for our wine. We do not have much information about the family from whom we bought the farm, other that the family name is Caviglia, and that Adriano and his wife and brother Gino have lived here most of their lives.”
“When we arrived at Cascina Desderi a sunny day in March 2003, we were immediately impressed by the splendid location, the wonderful vistas in all directions and the vines with light green leaves – lined up straight as arrows on the southern, sloping hill. What did NOT impress us was the condition of the buildings and the overall shabby appearance of the entire place. A ramshackle shed was leaning against the façade and an old tarpaulin was flapping in the wind, trash and waste from the last 50 years were all over, dogs and cats were barking and meowing in a false duet – while the hens and roster were walking freely, and the baby chickens flew all over to get away from the cat’s claws. Our elegant realtor, Ute de Vargas - a retired opera singer – pulled the shawl around herself, and exclaimed: “This is absurd, however, you must see through all this shit and rubble and envision the potential this place has.” We had brought our Finnish friend Irene along as a consultant as she speaks fluent Italian. She also found the place… absurd. She did, however, see the potential and fell in love with the place that very moment. We clearly saw the potential as well, but our love affair had to be somewhat more realistic – lots of renovations were obviously necessary (we have been involved in building previously in Florida and Norway), so we wanted to get some experts’ opinions before committing ourselves.”
”Upon returning the last week of April the region was even more stunningly beautiful than before – the whole region seemed to be in full bloom, and even the place had started to undergo some initial cleaning and general renovation. We brought with us our building partner from Florida, Jeff and his wife Suzanne, an engineer uncle and aunt, and a Swedish lady from California. The 80-year-old engineer uncle would definitely not even consider a project like that at his age, but maybe if he had been younger…. The aunt wondered where to begin? The American builder recommended to “knock the whole shit down, bulldoze it!” – while the Missus said; “it’s a challenge guys, and lots, and lots of work.” The Swede from California wondered about the plumbing, if there were hot and cold water – “and where’s the toilet?” (There was none, just a hole in the floor next to the barn…).
The condition of the vines was immaculate as they had been nursed and cultivated by a competent and responsible caretaker. The grape and wine perspective was such a vital factor… neglected vines overgrown by weed and full of fungi are beyond repair and are irreplaceable – but houses! They can be fixed. The inevitable question was; does one dare to start a project like this in another country - in a country so tainted with the most horrible and fearful stories of cheated people and a culture of bribes. Would the language – or lack there of – be a major disadvantage? After all, we would not be able to communicate while in the initial stages of the building process. And what about contractors, permits and the infamous Italian bureaucracy? Would we get the necessary building permits, and could the architects, notaries, lawyers, artisans and workers be trusted? And what about this guy with the suspicious title geometra?”
We spent May doing our preparations and checked whatever was possible from the USA. We negotiated in June, reached an agreement at the end of the month, and closed on the property on July 11, 2003. Checks changed hands, a handshake – then we had the key ring in our hands. We were the proud proprietors of a vineyard. This was, however, only the beginning. Now the real work was about to begin. Renovation, refurbishing and restoration – it had to be done with respect for traditions and old styles. We had to be humble and incorporate everything Piemontese with an open mind. This region is immensely proud of its cultural inheritance; on one hand they welcome foreign investors – they restore old farms, villas and villages that the Italians themselves have long neglected, on the other hand they demand that the local customs and traditions are honored. Of all this we were perfectly aware, and started the project with a humble go-ahead spirit!”
Trond and Roald took over Cascina Desderi on July 11th 2003. As soon as the Italian industrial holiday – ferie – was over at the end of August, the restoration process started. The renovation of the main house – Casa Padronale – was under way from September to December, and on December 23 they could greet the first guests a warm welcome; guests from the Moby Dick era that had become personal friends stayed from Christmas to New Years. Then another group of friends arrived to celebrated New Years on the farm – Cascina Desderi had greeted its first guests and was underway to become a vineyard “apartment hotel”.
