From wine lover to restauranteur to builder of custom cellars to consultant and finally to Barolo producer, Alan Manley realized his dream when he released his 2015 vintage of Margherita Otto Barolo.
Before moving permanently to Piedmont, Alan had very successful and satisfying career with wine. He launched Primitivo, a wine bar/restaurant in Colorado Springs with over 200 selections. He followed with VintageSpec, a multiservice company composed of a division that built, filled, and managed private cellars; a wine store (both physical and online) that helped these collectors fill their cellars; and a management consultancy that assisted in managing wine investments.
Alan proceeded to work many successive harvests in Piedmont, essentially apprenticing at the side of winemaking masters, learning with Luciano Sandrone, Elio Altare, Giuseppe Cavallotto, Marco Marengo, and Maria Teresa Mascarello. In 2012, Alan and his wife took up permanent residence in Piedmont and started making wine on their own, securing tiny plots through purchasing and rental agreements. Alan produced the first vintage of Margherita Otto with fruit from his sites in Barolo, Castiglione Falletto, and Monforte d’Alba, along with a small lot of purchased fruit from Serralunga d’Alba. Alan’s choice was to follow the example of Mascarello, producing one wine from several distinct parcels to represent a traditional Barolo.
