Wine from Marco Capra Azienda Agricola

The estate is located in Santo Stefano Belbo, on the Seirole hill between the Langhe and Monferrato districts. The main resource of the area has always been the cultivation of the vine: the particular geological conformation of the soil and its microclimate favor an optimal ripening of the bunches and the acquisition of the typical organoleptic properties.

This is a small family-run company; the art of viniculture is a wealth that the family has handed down for generations. The quality that distinguishes the wine is determined by the control on the entire supply chain from the vine to the bottle, through processes that follow the tradition while promoting the innovation that distinguishes modern companies.

Today the company is managed by Marco Capra who has succeeded in giving the right innovative boost typical of the new generations, while continuing to observe the teachings and experience handed down by his forefathers. The precious consulting skills of the oenologists Dante Scaglione and Daniela Serra is a further guarantee for the production of the very best quality wines.
Date Founded: 1945
Owner: Marco Capra
Winery Philosophy: "Wine is a piece of Art. We make wine as artists create their artworks. We give voice to the grapes, exalting them with our expertise."
 
Tommaso Capra, known as “Tumasin”, founded the estate in the hills of Santo Stefano Belbo in 1945. Tommaso then handed down his experience and winemaking culture to his son Luciano. Until the end of the 1980s, the primary activity of the estate was the production of high quality wine sold in traditional demijohns to the wholesalers.
In 1999 Marco, Luciano’s grandson, took over the company, giving new energy to the business. Driven by a real passion for wine and an aspiration to renewal and his youthful enthusiasm, Marco has carried on the family tradition and contributed to its growth.
In 2014 Marco Capra decided to change the name “Azienda Agricola Sanmarco” and started using his own name Marco Capra directly onto the label to highlight his personal “touch”. The convincing result is visible in the wines, which fully express the typicity of the territory and have succeeded in gaining the increasing appreciation of both wine experts and wine enthusiasts.
Winery Acreage: 44.5 acres
Winery Production: 5,000 / 9L cases
Varietals Produced: PINOT NOIR, CHARDONNAY, MOSCATO, NASCETTA, DOLCETTO, BARBERA, NEBBIOLO
Winemaker: Marco Capra

Marco Capra was born in 1981 in Asti and has been living in Santo Stefano Belbo since his birth. He started working with his grandfather for a couple of years when he was 18. From 1996 to 1998 he learned to work the land and the vineyards, while in 1999 he started working fulltime at the winery. In 2001 the winery was renovated and in 2014 he personalized the name of the label after his name. He is married to Monica and is a father of two lovely kids of 7 and  - Elisabetta and Riccardo.
Producing high quality wines is Marco Capra’s first goal, and in order to achieve this, his personal commitment and work start in the vineyard: “The vineyards are our most important capital and it is our job to take care of them and work them in the most natural and eco-compatible way possible”. Piedmont is renowned for its typical, richly traditional grape varieties – Nascetta, Nebbiolo, Dolcetto, Barbera and Moscato.
The hills that give life to Marco Capra wines are those of Langhe, Roero and Monferrato, a wonderful marriage between nature and man’s work recognized as UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2014. From the top of the Seirole hill in Santo Stefano Belbo; Marco enjoys a spectacular view on the vineyards which are perched on the gentle slopes, with the best exposition to the sun’s rays and the breeze from the wind. The terroir is special, very rich and able to give life to the great wines of the Piedmontese heritage.

Marco Capra Azienda Agricola produces mainly Piedmont’s autochthonous wines to enjoy all the characteristics of the terroir. The vineyards were chosen in the areas that are most suited to the cultivation of the single grape varieties. Meticulous care and attention are given to the vines, in the respect of agriculture techniques that allow to keep the yield under control. Defensive treatments are carried out prioritizing products with a low environmental impact.
The beginning of the harvest is decided by observing the degree of ripeness of the grapes, their sugar and acid contents and their development over time on the basis of the atmospheric conditions. The harvest usually starts at the end of August, with the Chardonnay and Pinot Noir grapes for sparkling wines, whereas Moscato, Chardonnay and Nascetta grapes are harvested at the beginning of September. Dolcetto and Barbera grapes are harvested between the end of September and the beginning of October followed, in mid October, by Nebbiolo grapes.

The grapes are all harvested by hand, into small perforated crates. All the phonological phases and the work in the vineyard are supervised by the agronomist Angelo Cortese.

The cellar
The wine is born in the vineyard, but man is responsible for trying to best transform the fruit that he receives after months of hard work in the vineyard. The architectural structure and all the technical systems have been designed and built to obtain the transformation of the grapes to the highest possible levels.

The cellar is equipped with all the latest technology, yet it remains faithful to the most traditional vinification processes.

Every step of the winemaking process - from the arrival of the grapes to fermentation, maturation, bottling, aging and shipping - is supervised by Marco Capra who, flanked by the oenologists Daniela Serra and Dante Scaglione, oversees every single phase in order to achieve the best final result.