With a long and illustrious career as a wine entrepreneur, following in the footsteps of both his and his wife’s family, Dott. Carlo Campanini Bonomi has long recognised Sardinia’s undiscovered jewels and untapped potential. However, in 2000, when he left his wine venture on the island – then Sardinia’s largest wine producer, with 500 ha under vine – he didn’t think life would take him back to the Mediterranean paradise.
Yet, 21 years later, upon discovering that one of the estates that he most admired, Capichera – a pioneering producer of high-quality Vermentino di Gallura DOCG – was for sale, a dream was reignited. The appeal, both personal and professional, was irresistible. He knew that the preservation of a unique heritage was at stake and he wanted to protect the value of a singular terroir.
Old project, new dream
After securing the support of a trusted team of local professionals, as well as of the heads of viticulture and oenology at his Piedmont estate (responsible for the Marchese Raggio Gavi del Comune Gavi DOCG wines), Dott. Bonomi moved with confidence in his attempt to acquire Capichera. The sale was completed in 2022 and since then, he and his team have invested all their energy in the estate; surveying it and defining clear goals for its preservation and renovation..
‘We are planning extensive renovation work of the cellars, offices and overall infrastructure, while preserving the great heritage we’ve been handed,’ Bonomi explains. One of the main concerns, unsurprisingly, is the challenge of natural shifts. ‘We are undergoing important changes to ensure the soils, vineyards and winery are equipped to cope with climate change,’ he outlines.
A pioneering legacy
Although driven by an entrepreneurial spirit and vision, Capichera’s new owner is adamant that he is merely the next chapter of an existing, illustrious narrative. ‘We are part of a story which began in the 1970s with the foresight and tenacity of the Ragnedda family,’ he says. ‘They believed in Vermentino di Gallura when no one else did. We are now the custodians of a precious terroir, of a tradition that goes back a thousand years and of the history of an appellation that was rescued from quasi-oblivion and made famous throughout the world.’
And so begins a new chapter in Capichera’s history, with renewed belief in its founding ethos and on the capacity of its vineyards to yield world-class wines. ‘Capichera is and will remain a small family-owned company dedicated to producing the best possible Vermentino di Gallura, while also exploring the clear potential to produce high-profile red wines, not least, the iconic Cannonau di Sardegna,’ concludes Bonomi.
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