Contessa
Italian wines were my first love; they bring back memories of dinners with my Nonos and all of the family around the table. For 20 years, I’ve been fortunate to make wines in Sonoma County using Italian varietals, and have dreamed of making my own Italian Super Tuscan IGT one day. In 2022, I made my dream a reality.
As luck would have it, a few years back, I was having another amazing lunch at one of my favorite restaurants La Tana di Ugo in Pontassieve, just outside of Florence in the heart of Tuscany. The restaurant owners, Sonia and Mattia, introduced me to a local grower, Tommaso Venturi, and we became fast friends. Tommaso shared his family’s deep roots in Tuscany, his passion for organic farming for both grapes and olives, and, as a good Italian, his love of good food and good wine.
Tommaso’s family has lived on the estate, Fattoria San Leolino, in Londa since 1645, almost 400 years! They own around 340 acres and farm organically 7.5 acres of grapes and 35 acres of olive trees. Their olives are turned into prized Tuscan extra-virgin olive oil in a 300-year-old building still standing. After visiting Tommaso’s estate, I knew meeting him was the catalyst to fulfill my dream!
In 2022, it all came together. I purchased some organically grown Sangiovese and Cabernet Sauvignon from Tommaso’s estate, traveled back to Tuscany several times to check on the wines and then for the final blend. I named it Contessa (Countess in Italian) for the regal vineyards from which the grapes come.
I could not be more proud to introduce the 2022 CONTESSA Super Tuscan, our wine made in Italy that we will be exporting into the US to share with all of you.
CONTESSA’s official release will be September 15, 2025, at $120.00 per bottle. Only 100 cases were produced.
This is very exciting to me, and I wanted to share this project that has reignited my passion for Life, Love, and Winemaking.