Winemaker Marco Cappelli of Cappelli Wine, Placerville, El Dorado County Part 1

“Veteran El Dorado County, CA Winemaker Marco Cappelli’s choice to get into the wine business was not pre-ordained; his Italian-born parents were teetotalers and his childhood home was not in Napa or Sonoma, but Carmel-by-the-Sea, an area known more for windswept rocky shores and white sand beaches than wine production. The path to an eventual career in winemaking started in a more roundabout and serendipitous way.”

“After a wonderful and life-changing 20 months in Europe, making wine at various wineries in Tuscany and learning the remarkable complexity of sweet wine production in Sauternes, he returned to California to look for a steady job. At this point in his life, fate intervened; through a dear friend he was introduced to Andre Tchelistcheff, the bedrock of California winemaking and mentor to many fortunate young winemakers. This was 1987. Andre was helping a start-up winery in Oakville/Rutherford owned by entrepreneur, bon vivant and nonpareil good person Clarke Swanson. At Swanson Vineyards Clarke and Marco together made many wonderful wines and even more wonderful memories. After 17 years working with Swanson, he left Napa in 2004 for the quiet wilderness of the Sierra Foothills to begin a new chapter in his life.”

“Believing he could make a modest living growing grapes, Marco purchased a 42-acre parcel in the Fair Play AVA of El Dorado County with a little house, a great view and 14 acres of Zinfandel, Syrah, Petite Sirah and Roussanne. He quickly realized, however, that the hardscrabble life of a Fair Play grape-grower was no way to make a living, even a modest one, so he turned to what he knew best and started working with local vineyards and wineries. With time he grew to understand and appreciate the rugged terroir, sleek and focused wines, and adventurous spirit of the locals.”

“The business model for Cappelli Wine had been taking form in his mind for many years and when a circa 1895 building in the historic district of downtown Placerville came up for sale, he and his wife Belinda knew it was time to give the business a try. While he continues to work for local wineries, he spends much of his day introducing locals to his rotating selection of delicious, hand-crafted small batch and single-vineyard wines priced for everyday drinking at his Placerville Tasting Room.” Patrons even are rewarded with a $2 credit when they return an empty bottle.

Marco Cappelli is our guest gently pulling the cork on all that is Cappelli Wine.