About Arnaldo Caprai
Arnaldo Caprai is a family-owned winery based in Montefalco, Umbria, founded in 1971 by textile entrepreneur Arnaldo Caprai and later developed by his son Marco. The estate is widely credited with reviving and modernizing Sagrantino di Montefalco, a powerful indigenous red grape variety, through extensive research and vineyard investment. Caprai's single-vineyard bottlings, particularly the '25 Anni' Sagrantino, are considered benchmarks for the denomination.
Prices are for take away and shipping. The wine bar serves from its own list.
The winery
About Arnaldo Caprai
History
The winery began in 1971, when Arnaldo Caprai, a successful Umbrian textile entrepreneur, bought 42 hectares at Montefalco, four of them already planted with vines, in the Val di Maggio estate. He wanted to run a farm devoted to wine, and he set out to give the local Sagrantino grape the standing he thought it deserved, adding neighbouring land step by step. In 2002 he was named Cavaliere del Lavoro for agricultural merit.
In 1986 his son Marco took over the running of the company. Marco worked with agronomy and winemaking research institutes, and in the early 1990s the Montefalco Sagrantino 25 Anni brought critics from around the world to a region that was little known.
The land and the vineyards
Montefalco sits on the highest hill, at 473 metres, of a chain on the edge of the Umbrian valley between Assisi and Spoleto, crossed by the Clitunno and Topino rivers. The town got its present name from Emperor Frederick II around 1249 and 1250.
Today the estate farms 160 hectares in all four directions around Montefalco, inside the DOCG area. Sagrantino and Grechetto are the native varieties, and the vineyards also hold Sangiovese, Merlot, Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and Sauvignon.
The wines
Montefalco Sagrantino 25 Anni is the wine that first drew attention, and the winery is known for reds with elegance and long ageing. The winery's own words for its goal are quality through research and trials of new vineyard and cellar techniques, while respecting local tradition.
Today
In 2021 the winery marked fifty years since that first purchase. The family still leads it, with Marco Caprai at the head, and the estate runs tastings and visits, including picnics in the vineyard.
- Founded
- 1971
- Area
- Montefalco, Umbria
- Vineyards (hectares)
- 160
- Main grapes
- Sagrantino, Grechetto, Sangiovese, Merlot, Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, Sauvignon
- Owners
- Caprai family