The story of Andrea Oberto might seem banal or sound like the classic yarn, told yet again, but I can assure you that every time I find myself telling people how my father came to be a winemaker, the expression on their faces is one of pure amazement. Not because my father started out in a particularly adventurous or exciting way, but because his story is so simple that it fascinates and astounds people. For most of his life Andrea Oberto had two jobs: lorry driver and farmer. Indeed after a long, exhausting week of work, undoubtedly driven by his great passion for the land, Andrea would still find the energy to work on the three hectares of vineyards he inherited from his father. Part of the grapes from these vineyards would be sent to the local cooperative winery, while the rest would be turned into wine and sold to private clients by the demijohn. Nowadays the Andrea Oberto estate continues to be a family company, but the three hectares of vineyards have become 16, and the demijohns are now bottles (around 100,000) of fine wine which is exported all over the world. Andrea’s passion, however, has not changed: while other winemakers prefer to delegate the work in the vineyards, my father has remained faithful to the countryside, continuing to work the land with the same enthusiasm he has always had. My name is Fabio Oberto and I am Andrea Oberto’s son. I wanted to tell you how my father succeeded in fulfilling his dream, because his experience has taught me how much dedication and how many sacrifices were required to reach that sought-after “success”. I, and many of my generation – children of winemakers who, like Andrea Oberto, have dedicated their lives to this craft – have a great responsibility: that of continuing the work of these extraordinary people. People who never gave up when faced with difficulty or defeat, and who never lost faith in themselves or their passion for their work.