ASOTOM

Tommaso is a self-taught winemaker who discovered his true passion in the vineyards after realizing that a career in construction planning—and office life in general—just wasn’t for him. The name “ASOTOM” has a playful backstory: on his first day of elementary school, when asked to label his name, Tommaso wrote “TOM” and squeezed “ASO” above it after running out of space—forgetting the second “M.” His winemaking journey began in 2005 when he came across an abandoned vineyard in Castelletto Merli, a small village of only 23 inhabitants in the Monferrato region of Piemonte. After restoring the old vines and expanding with new plantings, he now tends to about 3.5 hectares (around 8.5 acres) of organic-certified vineyards. Together with his partner, Sara, they embrace a biodynamic and hands-off approach to farming—no herbicides, only natural products to strengthen the vines. While Tommaso handles vineyard and cellar work, Sara manages operations, marketing, and even hand-applies the final touches on every label. They produce around 10,000 bottles annually of exclusively native grapes like Barbera, Freisa, Grignolino, Timorasso, Cortese, and the rare Moscato Nero, staying true to their roots as farmers first—who just happen to make beautiful wine.