It was years ago when Elena Penna, a native of these hills and one of the principals of Castiglione Falletto’s iconic Vietti winery, told me that, while she, of course, loved making wine, that the tradition Gin making in Piemonte was also a passion of hers.  It wasn’t really a surprise, therefore, when she decided to turn her talent and energy to making some.  

Elena Gin, a small batch (2,640 bottles), artisanal gin made in the Classic London Dry Gin style but with, Elena says, Langa flair.  Juniper picked in the Alps, of course, leads the way, with a light touch of citrus and a pretty finish of herbs and roots.  The small batches are produced using 18^thcentury wood-fired pot stills that were refurbished solely to produce this product. The botanicals aregently infused in the stills and the gin is lightly filteredusing only a natural paper filter which results in the gin retaining a slight yellow hue leftover from the botanicals. There are, of course, no artificial flavorings, essential oils or colorants used.  Given its profile, we imagine Elena Gin will be the perfect ingredient for many classic gin-based cocktails, from the quintessential Martini to the timeless Negroni.