At the foot of Monte Grappa, where the provinces of Vicenza and Treviso meet, Nicola Brunetti and his wife Giulia run a small organic estate that cheerfully ignores the local script. Calalta is not about the usual Veneto grapes; it is about honest wines with personality.
Backstory
Nicola and Giulia have run Calalta since 2017, building a tiny, hands-on winery in Mussolente, in the Veneto. From the start the project has leaned on organic farming and minimal-intervention winemaking rather than received regional wisdom.
The Region
Calalta lies in the foothills near Bassano del Grappa, sheltered to the north by the bulk of Monte Grappa. The wider property covers about 16 hectares, an oasis of olive trees, woods, meadows and a pond that supports real biodiversity around the vines.
Vineyards & Farming
Around five hectares are planted to vines, sitting at roughly 150 to 200 meters of elevation. Calalta is certified organic and most vineyard work is done by hand. The plantings are unusual for the area, including Riesling and the disease-resistant Bronner alongside Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Syrah and the local Tai Rosso.
Winemaking
Calalta bunches are hand-selected and checked again on a sorting table. Fermentations happen only with indigenous yeasts and no added products, with refrigeration used for temperature control when needed. The wines age across stainless steel, cement, wood and ceramic amphora, and are bottled without clarification or filtration. The only additive is a small amount of sulfite for stability.
The Wines
Annual Calalta production is around 20,000 bottles of characterful, low-intervention wine, made, in the couple's words, without invasive techniques in pursuit of honest wines with a strong personality.
