In 1964 Giuseppe Fraccchia, born into a farming family and then educated in the United States, purchased 520 acres (with a 400 year-old wine making tradition) in the Vignale Monferrato in northwest Italy and founded Nuova Cappelletta. Now run by Giuseppe’s grandson, Alessandro Uslenghi, Nuova Cappelletta is a thriving agricultural operation, growing corn and grapes and breeding cattle. In 2002, the farm became a wildlife reservation; its landscape, with dense hedges, the absence of pollutants, and the benefits of biodynamic farming is the perfect environment for migrating birds, bugs, and other wildlife. The entire farm was converted to organic and biodynamic agriculture in 1984 and has been certified by Demeter ever since. It is also has NOP certification through the USDA.
Nuova Cappelletta wines are produced from grapes grown exclusively in the estate’s six vineyards; Collina, Montalbava, Minola, Rinalda, Novareto, and Guerra. Each vineyard has unique characteristics and the resulting wines vary from everyday table wines to full-bodied, concentrated wines for aging. The vineyards are located on hilly fields, situated between fields in crop rotation or pastures. The soil itself contains sea deposits from the Miocenic period and a geological boundary crosses the estate from north to south.
