La Chertosa™ is named for the magnificent 14th century Renaissance monastery in the Tuscan valley of Farneta, Italy where the Sebastiani ancestral roots began. Here Sam’s grandfather or nonno, Samuele Sebastiani, learned to make wine in the “Old World” style.
Samuele immigrated to Northern California in 1895 and found that Sonoma closely resembled faraway Farneta in three ways; it boasted a mild Mediterranean climate, featured red soils similar to Farneta; and was blessed with gently sloping hillsides. Noting these similarities, Samuele planted grapevines and in 1904 founded Sebastiani Winery, one of the first wineries in California.
It was here in Sonoma that Samuele’s son August and his grandson Sam learned the art of making wine in the classic “Old-World” style. Sam’s experience of sixty years as a winemaker and more than 15 visits to his family’s ancestral village have influenced his winemaking style, fermentation and aging techniques, creating wines of complexity and finesse.
Samuele employed the time-honored techniques taught him by the Certosinian monks in Farneta, to create in Sonoma, the winemaking style Sam continues in crafting the harmonic flavors in La Chertosa™ wines.
We trust that Sam’s heritage offers flavors you will appreciate when spending time with family and friends.
August, Sam & Samuele
Sebastiani in 1941