“With Sagrantino he has been extraordinary”: to Marco Caprai the “Career Award” by Falstaff”

All “because of Sagrantino, a variety around which, many myths still circulate”: traditionally, “it was vinified as a sweet wine with a residual evident sweetness, in order to soften the massive structure of tannins. The result was a fascinating play between sweetness and bitter notes, an opulent sweet wine”, perfectly matched with many Medieval dishes. “But the Middle Ages were finished, sweet wines were out of fashion, and everyone wanted dry wines, and mainly economical”. Marco Caprai didn’t let himself be discouraged, and began to produce dry and powerful wines. In the Nineties, everyone asked for powerful wines, and Sagrantino was the wine of the moment. With his Collepiano, he conquered the experts, and in 1996, he raised the bar with “25 anni””. But, with foresight, he understood that the boom would have finished, “and, he worked to make Sagrantino more refined and elegant”, calling, in 2015, the most influential enologist of that period to Montefalco: Michel Rolland, who “developed an integral specific vinification for Sagrantino, allowing to give more fruit to the wine, and make tannins softer”. But it didn’t become “an easy and brown-noser wine certainly”, and its most significant expression “is the Spinning Beauty”. This is the story of the renaissance, and relaunch of Sagrantino di Montefalco in the international spotlight thanks to Marco Caprai, guiding family company Arnaldo Caprai, that, in the previous days, received the “Career Award” by “Falstaff”, the most important magazine in food and wine communication, travel and design in German-speaking countries, during the presentation of “Wein Guide Italien” 2025, curated by Othmar Kiem and Simon Staffler (who have recently launched also “Falstaff Italia”) in Munich Eataly winery.
In the pages of the guide it is possible to read as “recognitions like this are often awarded at the end of a long work career. With his 60 years, Marco Caprai isn’t at the end of his creative activity for sure. But during the nearly forty years dedicated to wine, he has realized something extraordinary. The name of Marco Caprai and of winery Arnaldo Caprai in Montefalco, in Umbria, is inextricably connected to Sagrantino di Montefalco. Sagrantino is considered the grape variety with the highest level of tannins in the world, and in the Seventies, due to its low output, and of the generous structure of its wines, was almost fallen into forgetfulness. Caprai brought back to the top Sagrantino. But, originally, it all began in a very different way. Marco studied Political Sciences, and he didn’t have so much to do with wine and viticulture. However, there was Tenuta Val di Maggio, which was purchased by his father Arnaldo Caprai, textile entrepreneur, at the beginning of the Seventies. After some hesitations, Marco started to work in the company anyway, and he was responsible of its management initially. But soon, he was caught by the ambition”.
“A wonderful recognition - said Caprai (next to those of “European Winery of the Year” 2012 by “Wine Enthusiast”, as “Sustainability Model” by Expo Milano 2015, and Officer of Merit of the Italian Republic by the President of the Republic Sergio Mattarella for the project that, with Caritas, supports migrants amongst vineyards, also awarded by Onu, ed) – which awards a 40-year commitment which is not only mine, but of all our collaborators”.