Andrea Occhipinti

Gradoli, Lazio, Italy Andrea Occhipinti fell in love with the vineyards of Gradoli while he was at the Agrarian University of Tuscia, so much so that they became the subject of his master thesis in 2004. Soon after graduating, Andrea was able to purchase 4 hectares of vineyards planted in the 1990’s. They are set at 450 meters above sea level (1500 feet) on the volcanic slopes of Lake Bolsena, the biggest volcanic lake in Europe. Situated just one hour north of Rome, the lake provides a unique microclimate that together with the particular terroir and Andrea’s objective to preserve and promote the local indigenous varietals, Aleatico and Grechetto Rosso, produce wines with the flavor of tradition and the effervescence of innovation. Andrea is the first in Italy to experiment with a dry interpretation of the Aleatico grape, and his next project is to vinify Aleatico in white.