The story of our family

More than 60 years of winemaking and love for this land

The roots

Capanna was founded in 1957 by Grandfather Giuseppe Cencioni in order to break free from the mezzadria sharecropping system. With incredible sacrifices he was able to purchase the Capanna farm that included 25 hectares of woodlands and fields, all in a state of complete disrepair. There was an enormous amount of work to be done in order to rebuild the property, the olive grove and the vineyards, especially because of the bad freeze of 1956 that had damaged most of the plants. Giuseppe had ahead of himself a very difficult road.

The gamble

Money was tight, but thanks to his entrepreneurial vision and readiness to gamble and take a risk, Giuseppe got a mortgage from the Agrarian Credit Institute of Tuscany and in 1960, with the help of relatives, he was able to plant the first specialized vineyard. In 1966, the Brunello di Montalcino DOC (Denomination of Controlled Origin) was established and in 1967 Giuseppe became one of 25 founding members of the Brunello Consortium.

The early years

The 1964 vintage was the first Capanna Brunello to be sold on the market. While following the authentic traditions of Tuscan agriculture with a focus on wine, olive oil and livestock farming, from that moment on the company began to grow. Thanks to a constant attention to quality, and a mentality of hard work and sacrifice, Capanna continues to grow today.

Exporting to Germany

In 1975, the company began exporting Brunello DOC and Rosso di Montalcino (at the time labeled as Rosso dai vigneti di Brunello) to Germany. The success enjoyed in exportation was because of a man named Harald L. Bremer and represents an interesting anecdote in our family history. Bremer was a high-quality stone and building materials importer and very passionate about wine. One time, while visiting Montalcino, a local man indicated to him a certain area of land that produced good wine, and this was the land of the Capanna farm. He went to the farm and found Giuseppe in the vineyards thinning the grapes, a practice that consists of removing excess grape bunches during the summer which reduces quantity to ensure the higher quality of the remaining grapes. The importer was curious about the practice and wanted to taste the wine and upon tasting it decided to import it to Germany.

The expansion of exports

Our wine production grew and improved, thanks to the continued investment in additional farm land and the planting of specialized vines. From its entrance onto the market, to the fortuitous beginning of exporting to Germany, the company then further organized its export efforts and expanded into Belgium, Japan, Canada, Switzerland and the United States. These new opportunities were also tied to the growing notoriety of Brunello di Montalcino and the presence of larger producers who contributed to the creation of international channels into new markets and the diffusion of our regional wines on the world stage.

 

New challenges

At this point, the world was changing and globalization began to impact the mechanisms of production creating an increasingly competitive panorama in Brunello production. The Capanna farm focused exclusively on quality through further investments and honing of their skills and knowledge. This winning strategy helped the company to continue its growth. However, in 1990, the company suffered a setback with the death of Uncle Frank, one of Giuseppe’s two sons, who was in charge of the agricultural side of the business, including raising livestock. The death of his brother forced Benito, the remaining son, to close down the livestock operation and instead focus solely on the vineyards and wine production. With the help of his sons, Patrizio and Francesco, the company narrowed its focus and improved its vineyards and wine production year after year, reaching new markets.

The profits were constantly reinvested for the improvement of the activities and the renovation of existing structures for both aesthetic and functional purposes. Over the years, Capanna farm has received many prizes and awards.

Capanna Suites

In 2004, the project for the creation of Capanna Suites began with an initial renovation mainly for rehabilitation. In 2013, the work began again, this time dedicating the entire structure to the creation of luxury tourist accommodations, Capanna Suites, which opened to the public in 2019. This important step forward was desired and carried out mainly by Amedeo, the son of Patrizio, an enologist deeply dedicated to his family’s business. Amedeo brought new ideas to the wine production and also regarding the relationship of the brand to the rest of the world. While continuing to respect tradition, he kept up with technological innovations and introduced to the production method new instruments and technology in line with modern standards. Motivated by the desire to showcase his family’s passion for winemaking and make the important legacy of culture, tradition and experience of this land accessible to others, he guided the Capanna brand toward the realization of both the agriturismo (farm stay) and the restaurant. These two new activities have allowed Capanna farms to open itself up to the world and welcome guests to the property in the best way possible.

Wed 13, Nov

MONTALCINO WEATHER
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