The first traces of Colle Acacia date back to 2006, when Sergio and Federico started working as young agronomists in a large Tuscan winery in Montepulciano. While Federico continued his experience in the company where he soon became the enologist, Sergio left Italy to start a humanitarian career in Uganda, Burundi, Djibouti and Kenya.
In Kenya, in 2012 he met another humanitarian operative and great wine enthusiast, Jordi. The idea of a common project in the world of wine that combines friendship and desire to reaffirm our origins, started to take shape
In 2017, in a restaurant in Beirut, Sergio and Jordi wrote on a paper napkin the title of the project: Colle Acacia. Sergio immediately contacted Federico to invite him into joining the adventure. After a timid, initial reluctance, both the friendship and dreams prevailed. The team was now ready. Only the vineyard was missing.
After a long search in the beautiful, hilly countryside around Cortona, in July 2019 the three enthusiasts took over 10 acres of vineyard in Cignano, half-way distance between Cortona and Montepulciano, from two brothers – Carlo and Tito Regi – who have been in the wine business for several years.
The vineyard is splendid. It is on a high-hill, within a natural amphitheater exposed predominantly to the south, south-west with four distinct varieties of grape: Syrah, Sangiovese, Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot, providing a unique value in terms of Terroir and genetic potential. The vineyard surrounds a small patch of acacia trees, the Casceta, which provide our symbolic and ancestral motif, rooted from our travels in Africa where the tree is present almost everywhere.
We decided to create three labels.
1) A 100% pure Syrah, a must for the area given the suitability of this vine with the terroir, which represents the first in Italy where this variety was planted.
2) Orisone, is an intriguing exploration, as a ‘pseudo-bordolese’ blend of Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon and Sangiovese. A Super Tuscan of great ambition that reflects our dynamism and creativity. Orisone is a neologism that expresses the powerful calm we perceive as we contemplate the hilly landscape towards Montepulciano and Mount Amiata from the top of the vineyard.
3) A 100% pure Sangiovese, Sor Carlo, that evokes the Tuscan tradition and celebrates a historic vine of Tuscany. Its name honours Mr. Carlo Regi, a renowned actor in some of the largest wine-growing farms in Arezzo and Siena from whom we took over the land for Colle Acacia.
Elisabetta Rapini, a young graphic designer from Rome produced the logo of Colle Acacia, and the labels. Each label combines the acacia tree, our hill and the vine plant. The style combines a blend of modern and traditional graphic techniques, which mirror our production philosophy.
Thanks to these labels, to this vineyard, and to this story, our friendship becomes a beautiful account of a return to our native roots. A story that we are happy to share with all of you.
Cheers,
Federico, Sergio e Jordi