Piemonte, Italy

Luigi and Fiona Baudana are natives of the town that bears that name, located just north of Serralunga d’Alba. The beginning of their family history is lost in time and Luigi never precisely knew whether his ancestors gave their name to the place or took their name from it. With Fiorina’s encouragement, Luigi decided to stop selling their family’s grapes to cooperatives and to start producing their own estate wines. Budana quickly gained a reputation for producing wines of great elegance and nuance. In 2008, with an eye toward retirement, the Baudanas began discussions with the Vaira family (of G. D. Vajra fame), discussions that led to the Vairas suggesting they could become “guardians” of the Badana family history, rather than just taking over the land. Since 2009, then Giuseppe Vaira has been in charge of the Baudana estate. His white “Dragon” is mostly Chardonnay with Sauvignon Blanc, Nascetta, and a touch of Riesling; dray and slightly savory, it has aromas of orchard fruits and preserved lemons and is fresh and silky smooth on the palate.