Do Everything with Passion w/ Arianna Occhipinti

Making natural wines right out of university, Arianna Occhipinti, founder of Azienda Agricola Occhipinti, has quickly built a strong following globally, particularly in the US. Discovered by Louis/Dressner at a natural wine show around Vinitaly, Occhipinti’s focus on expressing terroir through natural farming and winemaking and doing everything with passion has led to continued success.   Detailed Show Notes: She finished university in Milan, started making wine in 2004, and is interested in natural wines that speak of terroirBased in Vittoria, Sicily, she makes wines from reds (Frappato, Nero d’Avola), whites (Albanello, Zibbibo, Grillo)Started w/ 1ha farm in Fosso di Lupo (Frappato, Nero d’Avola)Cultivates a pluricultural farm for biodiversity - vineyards, orange, pear, wheat, vegetable garden2006 - built a small winery2013 - moved to another farm in BombolieriTerroir - limestone (lots of fossils), red sand, 250m above sea level, 8 km from the sea, 8 km from mountains, windy and dry -> lead to low pH wines1st meeting with Louis/Dressner in 2006 at a Vinitaly adjacent natural wine fair1st presentation of winesKevin McKenna tried the wines and got Jules Dressner to try them, where they immediately asked if they could import themStill working together, they are “very pure people”One of the 1st Italian producers that Louis/Dressner represented1st trip to US (“Real Wine Tour”) - Louis/Dressner organized a young group of producers, with a lot of energy that toured the USTraction partly from being an early mover in the natural wine movementAt the time, San Francisco (and Paris) were leading the world for natural winesNatural wine bars (e.g. - Terroir Wine Bar)Leading restaurants (A16, Bar Agricole)LA (Domaine LA) and NY followedSommeliers promoted the wine and created strong relationshipsTraction was a combination of wine quality and consistency, restaurant promotion, and good communicationsConvincing people who know a lot about wine (e.g., sommeliers) helpedIn the US market ~1x / yearLouis/Dressner did a great job of selecting wine producers and having good relations with their clientsAdvice for others - do everything with passion, potentially spend more time on trips to spend more time with people Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.