In 2013, after years of meticulous planning, we began planting Centennial Mountain Vineyard on a pristine ridgeline high in Sonoma County to explore our love of Italian varietals. Our goal for Centennial Mountain was ambitious: to unlock the full potential of Italy’s finest grapes here in California, particularly Nebbiolo, along with Carricante and Nerello Mascalese, the celebrated white and red grapes that have been grown on Sicily’s Mount Etna for millennia.
This goal was the culmination of years of studying the perfect climate and soils for these varieties, paired with invaluable experience gained from establishing two vineyards on Mount Etna in Sicily. There, we worked closely with Italian viticultural and winemaking masters to learn the intricacies of these grapes, how best to cultivate them, and how to steward them into wines of uncommon character and complexity. Our time in Italy was inspiring and transformative, providing the foundation that guided the design and planting of our Centennial Mountain Vineyard.
