Italy just said goodbye to a true wine heavyweight. Arnaldo Caprai—textile maven turned vine whisperer—passed away at 92, leaving behind a legacy that reshaped Montefalco and catapulted Sagrantino from local curiosity to global red-wine staple. If you’ve ever stared down a glass of Sagrantino and thought, “Those tannins mean business,” you can thank Caprai for giving that fierce grape a proper stage and a steady director’s hand.
Caprai’s story checks all the boxes: entrepreneur with a collector’s eye, obsessive about craft, and relentless about marrying tradition with innovation. In the 1970s, he bet big on Umbria, buying the Val di Maggio estate and, plot by plot, expanding vineyards with a quality-first mindset. He brought agronomists, oenologists, and universities into the conversation long before “research-driven winemaking” was a buzzword. The result? Sagrantino evolved from rustic and austere to refined and age-worthy without losing its identity.
“an authentic ambassador of Umbria to the world” — Confagricoltura, via Wine-Searcher
The tributes tell you everything about the man’s imprint. Institutions across agriculture and government lined up to salute the vision that elevated a territory and its grape. Even skeptics of modernization have to admit: building credibility for a niche DOCG on the international stage takes stamina and a sharp compass. Caprai had both.
“a man of uncommon vision” — Stefania Proietti, via Wine-Searcher
Let’s talk numbers, because they add heft to the narrative without killing the romance. Today, the estate spans roughly 174 hectares, about 160 under vine across Sagrantino di Montefalco DOCG, Montefalco DOC, and Colli Martani DOC. Output hovers near one million bottles—a scale that somehow still feels tethered to place. Seventy percent sold in Italy, thirty percent exported. Modern sustainability practices? Check, including adherence to the “New Green Revolution” protocol. And yes, the consulting brain trust includes Michel Rolland, whose fingerprints are often found on polished yet terroir-true wines.
But Caprai’s real achievement is cultural: he aligned business discipline, scientific curiosity, and local pride into one long-term vision. Sagrantino’s thick skins and sky-high polyphenols can turn clumsy fast—think mouthful of walnut skins if you don’t handle it right. Caprai’s program showed how smart vineyard work and patient cellar craft could sculpt tannins into structure, not punishment. That’s how Sagrantino went from “niche and gnarly” to “distinctive and collectible.”
Want to taste the legacy? Approach Sagrantino like a surf break with a reputation—respect the power, but don’t be intimidated. Give it air (a decanter is your friend) and time (five to ten years does wonders). Pairing-wise, lean umami and fat: porchetta, grilled lamb, aged pecorino, black truffle dishes. The wine’s muscular frame and savory core thrive on richness, but it’ll surprise you with freshness when the vineyard work is dialed.
The handoff to Marco Caprai isn’t new; he’s been steering since 1988 and co-authoring the research-forward playbook. The ethos remains intact: discipline in the vines, precision in the cellar, and a global lens that never loses sight of Montefalco’s hills.
“Why didn’t you ask me?” — Marco Caprai recalling his father, via Wine-Searcher
That line from Marco captures the vibe—humble guidance with a nudge toward doing it right. Arnaldo Caprai even earned Italy’s Cavaliere del Lavoro (Knight of Labour) in 2002, a nod to the broader social value of his work. It wasn’t just about building a brand; it was about anchoring a territory’s reputation and making it resilient.
In a world where wine trends change as fast as swell directions, Caprai’s model—research-backed, quality-led, identity-first—feels timeless. Whether you’re deep into Umbrian wines or just starting to explore beyond Tuscany and Piedmont, Montefalco deserves a spot on your list. Raise a glass to the man who helped put it there.
Source: https://www.wine-searcher.com/m/2026/01/italy-farewells-wine-giant
