(Oscar Farinetti e Francesco Tornatore)
An exclusive news item of Cronache di Gusto. Oscar Farinetti has bought vineyards on Etna and is preparing to land on the volcano with his style.
We will tell you a preview of all the details of an operation that will make the whole world of Italian wine and more talk about. The patron of Eataly took over a company in contrada Carranco in Solicchiata, the hamlet of Castiglione di Sicilia, on the northern slope, considered one among the most valuable and prestigious ones of the whole Etna. The company is called Tenuta Carranco, including in total twenty hectares, of which six are currently cultivated, five will be planted as vineyards and six cultivated with olive trees, plus some buildings, including a cottage. Part of the vineyard is about sixty years old.
But that is not all. The acquisition will trigger another effect. A joint venture between Farinetti and Francesco Tornatore, a well-known Etna entrepreneur and owner of a well-established winery in Solicchiata and owner of over sixty hectares of vineyards and a production of about 300 thousand bottles. Farinetti will be the majority shareholder of the newly formed company that could be called Villa dei Baroni, with reference to the origins of this estate belonging to a noble family. The numbers of the overall investment were not disclosed. The patron of Eataly confessed to his friends the satisfaction for the new acquisition: “I have long dreamed of being able to make an Etna wine. Now it will be possible. It is a fantastic territory, the wines remind me the Langhe ones and my Nebbiolo, although they are also very different. It is the first time I invest in Sicily, a part of Italy that makes my mouth watering just by pronouncing it. With the support of my friend and partner Francesco Tornatore we will make a great wine and a great oil. The olive groves are very beautiful, all cultivated with Nocellara dell'Etna.” The acquisition on Etna was carried out by Borgogno, the winery of Barolo owned entirely by the Farinetti family, the only company in the galaxy of the patron of Eataly that has no external partners.
Even Tornatore, appointed “cavaliere del lavoro” thanks to his manufacturing companies present in two continents, is really excited. Since he began to complete the production chain of wine and to go on the market, he has achieved a series of successes: from the valuable results on food guides to the trade agreements with high-sounding names such as the American Gallo for the sale of his wines in US. Tornatore, after having closed the acquisition negotiation, confessed to his collaborators: “Joining a company with an entrepreneur like Oscar Farinetti to produce Etna wine together is a result of great prestige for me and my family that has always believed in the potential of the Volcano. Our knowledge of the territory together with his skill as an entrepreneur able to bring the best “made in Italy” to the world, combined with the love of both for wine, can only be positive for Etna.”
Oscar Farinetti and Francesco Tornatore met for the first time in January 2016 at Best in Sicily, the event that celebrates the agro-food Sicilian excellences organized by Cronache di Gusto. After two and a half years their friendship has brought to light a joint venture that cannot elude the professionals. For Farinetti this is the second acquisition of a winery in 2018. As we wrote here in the past few months, a winery in Chianti Classico was acquired through Fontanafredda (the large winery in Serralunga d'Alba that Oscar Farinetti shares with other partners). Now the game moves to Sicily. More precisely, to Etna. This is really different. And it could just be the beginning.
F. C.
Article published on July 26th at 10.45 pm