Italian Wine - Rosso di Montefalco

With Ciro Pirone

Rich ruby red, brilliant. Sensationally intense, with notes of ripe red fruit and delicate hints of vanilla. Full bodied, rich, dry with a long finish. Best served with red and white meats, cold cuts and matured cheeses.

Montefalco is a town and commune in the central part of the Italian province of Perugia.  The town has been actively settled since the times of the Umbri. In 1249 it was sacked by Frderick II , but was soon rebuilt with the modern name. In 1446 it fell under the rule of the Papal States  where it remained until the unification of Italy in 1861.

In 1971 Arnaldo Caprai bought the Val di Maggio estate in Montefalco, located in the region of Umbria. His lifelong dream was to produce a wine of his own and discover the potential of the local varieties –most of all Sagrantino. In 1988 his son, Marco Caprai, started managing the winery and with his passion and determination gave the necessary impetus to the production of top quality wines. The Arnaldo Caprai winery is now the acknowledged leader in the production of top quality Sagrantino di Montefalco, a wine produced exclusively from Sagrantino, a native grape variety that has been growing in the region of Montefalco for more than four hundred years.

Technical notes: First Vintage produced: 1975 Blend Percentage: Sangiovese 70%, Sagrantino 15%, Merlot 15%.

Since graduating from the Istituto Alberghiero (Hotel and Restaurant Management school) di Salerno in 1994, Ciro has traveled and worked in Italy, England and the US. Wine is always been an incredible passion for him, especially because growing up in Italy, wine was always a very important part of  family meals, and it was there he learned to respect and love it.Although Italy is always in his heart, in 1999 he moved to the USA permanently.  In Boston he continued his wine studies at Boston University, the International Sommelier Guild and WSET.Currently he has the position of Director of Italian Wines for Horizon Beverage Group.