Our story is one of tradition, passion, and innovation.

The Charrère family is one with deep roots and ancient traditions. In 1750, they emigrated from Grenoble (France, near the Haute-Savoie border) to Aymavilles in the Aosta Valley. In the 1800s, they built the historic family estate, which in 1983 was declared “of particularly important historical and artistic interest pursuant to Law No. 1089 of 01/06/1939.” Today, it is protected by the Superintendence for Cultural Heritage and Activities of the Aosta Valley as part of the community's historical heritage.

The property, in addition to the historic cellars, houses the *cor* with its stone mills for walnut oil pressing, rye grinding mills, and various original tools for cider and wine production, all in excellent condition. In local architecture, the *cor* was the interior space of a building designated for food production and exchange. This area played a strategic role in the economy of the time, enabling the barter trade of various goods, as monetary transactions were rare.

Our reserve *La Cor* is dedicated to this building, crafted from the long aging of the native Fumin grape. It was great-great-grandfather Bernardin who professionalized agricultural activity, while great-grandfather Etienne expanded it with cider production. Grandfather Louis introduced the milling of local grains, and finally, Antoine, Costantino's father, specialized in producing walnut oil and cereals until 1955, when olive oil began arriving in the valley from other regions, creating fierce competition. From that point on, the Charrère family shifted their focus to the production of quality wines.

To stand out even then, Antoine initiated a meticulous process of customization at the cultivation level, along with separate vinification of the *crus*, identifying the geographical locations of each vineyard. His work was also historically oriented, aimed at preserving native grape varieties, a commitment that would help highlight the Aosta Valley through its wines. Costantino, a gymnastics teacher (like his wife, who also came from a family of Piedmontese farmers) and a ski instructor, continued the work of his parents, Antoine and Ida. He left his profession to dedicate himself entirely to his deep passion: viticulture.

The wine Cru de la Sabla was, for sentimental reasons, the first wine that Costantino decided to vinify in 1970 as a tribute to his father and mentor, who passed on the art of winemaking to him. It was La Sabla that gained fame in the Aosta Valley and throughout Italy when Costantino, featured in 1976 on the program A tavola alle 7 with Ave Ninchi and Veronelli, was invited to present the wine and delve into the then-unknown and intriguing world of Aosta Valley viticulture.

Following in his father’s footsteps, Costantino initially decided to select and nurture grape varieties that would otherwise have been lost, such as *Premetta* (*Prié Rouge*), a very rare and endangered variety, and *Fumin*, another native grape saved from extinction and vinified with outstanding results. In 1999, his work earned national acclaim with Il Sole di Luigi Veronelli. In 1989, Costantino advanced his efforts by founding *LES CRETES*.