Heroic Fermentations: Multispecies Symbiosis in the Vineyards of the Susa Valley

Abstract

In the context of the Susa Valley, an Alpine area in Western Piedmont where so-called “heroic viticulture” is practiced – characterised by steep slopes and complex, entirely manual agricultural labour – this paper explores the invisible role of yeasts in the production of natural wines through spontaneous fermentation. Adopting a multispecies ethnographic approach based on interviews, participant observation, analysis of production practices, and sensory narratives, the essay investigates the interconnections among humans, microbes, environments, and local knowledge that co-produce wine. Integrating the perspective of zymurpolitics (Furness 2022; 2023), fermentation is interpreted as an ontopolitical space of negotiation between microbial autonomy and human control. The research highlights the tensions between oenological standardisation, disciplinary constraints, and the desire to maintain a living relationality with the cellar’s microbiome, showing how the “heroic” viticulture of the Susa Valley constitutes a form of epistemic and ecological resistance in which yeasts participate in shaping quality, territorial identity, and more-than-human labour.