FEATURE: Arnaldo Caprai: The Man Who Saved a Grape, a Town, and a Legacy
- Tricia Jones
- 10 minutes ago
- 2 min read
“He didn’t just make wine. He made history.”
Raise a glass. On January 4, 2026, Arnaldo Caprai, the godfather of Montefalco, passed away at the age of 92.
If his name doesn’t immediately ring a bell, don’t worry, you’re not alone. Even for seasoned wine lovers, Caprai’s genius was often quietly at work behind the scenes. But for anyone who’s ever savored a silky Montefalco Sagrantino, his influence is undeniable.
From Linen to Liquid Gold
Caprai didn’t grow up among vineyards. In the 1950s, he sold linen door-to-door in Italy, a world where a bedsheet was treated as an heirloom, not a commodity. The meticulousness and tenacity he honed then would later define his approach to wine: obsessive attention to detail, an eye for overlooked potential, and a refusal to settle for mediocrity.
The Resurrection of Sagrantino
Ever heard of Sagrantino? In the 1970s, hardly anyone had. A rustic, tannic grape from Umbria, it was mostly relegated to sweet, sacramental wines, potent enough to double as paint stripper. Vineyards were dying, sharecroppers were disappearing, and Montefalco risked slipping into obscurity.
Enter Caprai. In 1971, he bought a plot called Val di Maggio. Locals thought he was mad. Caprai saw potential, the kind backed by research, not luck.
By the late 1980s, he partnered with the University of Milan to tame Sagrantino’s fierce tannins. Out went guesswork. In came clonal selection, green harvesting, and French oak barrels. Viticulture became a science, not superstition.
"He treated grapes like equations and soil like data.
The result? Pure magic in a bottle"
The Wine That Changed Everything
By 1993, Caprai unveiled 25 Anni, a red so dense and structured it made Barolo look like juice. Critics swooned, awards piled up, and Sagrantino became Italy’s new cult hero. What had been a forgotten relic was now celebrated worldwide.
But Caprai’s vision extended beyond wine scores. He created jobs, revived Montefalco, and even employed asylum seekers during harvests, turning his vineyards into a model of sustainable agriculture.
“Caprai’s 25 Anni turned a nearly extinct grape into Italy’s cult sensation”
Fashion, Heritage, and Innovation
Caprai’s genius wasn’t limited to grapes. He founded Maglital, the fashion empire behind Cruciani bracelets, curated a world-class textile museum, and reimagined heritage as something to innovate, not just preserve. Lace or Sagrantino, Caprai believed in honoring the past while shaping the future.
A Legacy in Every Glass
Today, Caprai’s sons, Marco and Luca, carry forward his dual passions: wine and fashion. But it was Arnaldo who laid the foundations.
Next time you pour a glass of Montefalco Sagrantino, savor not just the tannins, but the story. The story of a man who saved a grape, a town, and a legacy.
Montefalco Sagrantino 101
Region: Umbria, Italy
Grape: Sagrantino, famed for its tannins and bold flavor
Style: Dry reds, often aged in French oak
Fun Fact: Once used almost exclusively for sacramental wine
