Our Family History

 

The Scarpantoni family originates from the Abruzzi region of central Italy on the Adriatic coast.

 

Domenico Scarpantoni arrived in Australia in 1952   and settled in the McLaren Vale region. He purchased his first block in McLaren Vale in 1958 and planted the first of many vines. In 1968 Domenico Scarpantoni purchased another 20 hectare block in McLaren Flat on the site of one of the first schools in SA. It was here, in 1979, that the Scarpantoni family built their own winery and established their own label. Scarpantoni Estate Wines now has 40 hectares under vines and currently produces approximately 40,000 dozen wines per year.

 

The winery is very much a family business with every step of production, from viticulture to the packaged product, done entirely on the premises. This gives the family total control over every stage of the winemaking process and ensures that the highest standards are maintained.

Scarpantoni wines are, and always have been, classically McLaren Vale in style.

 

The McLaren Vale region has the greatest soil variation of any wine region in Australia. Growing up in the area has given Michael and Filippo Scarpantoni a greater understanding of the different soil types and where to plant the different grape varieties to ensure the best results. For example, Cabernet Sauvignon is well suited to sand over ironstone soil, whilst Shiraz has longevity in deep sand, both soil types are found on the Scarpantoni estate.

Scarpantoni wines have achieved the highest national accolades, namely The Jimmy Watson Trophy in 2007 for the 2006 Brothers Block Cabernet and The Greatest Australian Shiraz Challenge in 2008 for the 2006 Block 3 Shiraz, amongst many others.

 

Scarpantoni blends are regarded as the ultimate expression of the red varieties from the region. Our School Block red is a blend of the top 3 grape varieties in the area – Shiraz, Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot. Our newly released School Block White is a blend of 3 outstanding white varieties – Sauvignon Blanc, Semillon and Chenin Blanc.

Michael and Filippo Scarpantoni also grow grape varieties that are less commonly found in the McLaren Vale region, such as Durif, Barbera, Pinot Noir and Gamay. The Scarpantoni brothers continue to push the boundaries in their quest to make exciting wines of outstanding quality for all to enjoy.