Marcelo remembered seeing the Gilera
as a boy, and after an extensive search
he found it in Argentina. A 100-point
restoration followed, but after that the
story gets complicated. Suppose you had
completed such a restoration and stored
it on your girlfriend’s property (along with
a 1947 Harley you also owned). Further,
suppose that you broke up with said
girlfriend and she announced her intent
to sell both bikes. Finally, suppose you
broke into that girlfriend’s barn, recov-
ered the hostage Saturno, and spirited
it out of Argentina to a family vineyard
in Temecula. I’m not saying any of this
happened, nor am I saying Marcelo was
involved in any such shenanigans, but
this hypothetical story ends well. The
hypothetical former girlfriend sold the
Harley (hypothetically still on display
in Argentina), and a magnificent 500cc
Saturno hypothetically resides in the pri-
vate part of the MotoDoffo Collection.
Visiting the collection
There are two parts to the MotoDoffo
Collection. One is public, and anyone
who visits the Doffo Winery can see it
in the MotoBarrel Room, where Doffo
wines are aged in huge wooden barrels.
The MotoBarrel Room is a treat for the
senses, with magnificent motorcycles and
deeply aromatic aging wines. Several vin-
tage motorcycles are also on display on
the grounds and in the tasting room. The
other MotoDoffo Collection is the private
one. It resides in the workshop where the
restorations are accomplished and the
racing stable is maintained, and the Doffo
residence. I spent the day with Damian
and saw it all, and it’s what you might
imagine life would be like for a self-made
and successful intercontinental agricul-
ture baron. Imagine rich red Ducatis in
your home and all forms of moto-exotica
in your garage — including a new-in-the-
crate Ducati Paul Smart 1000. I saw a
small car under a cover and jokingly asked
if it was a Ferrari. “Yes, it is,” answered
my host.
There’s no business plan for
MotoDoffo, and although they sell
T-shirts and have a motorcycle-themedwine series, the Doffo Winery didn’t
create the MotoDoffo concept to make
money. “We do it because of the passion
we have for the motorcycles,” Damian
says. That’s the best reason there is.
Marcelo and Damian are riders, racers,
restorers and collectors. Both are activehttp://www.MotorcycleClassics.com 61
Marcelo’s 1985 Mike Hailwood Ducati Mille resides in his living room (left). A row of scooters, yet another highlight.
A VADIM 250cc race bike with a Seeley frame (middle). The Gilera Saturno,
proudly displayed in Marcelo’s living room (above).