Wine

Mitolo Wines - Italian Impact In McLaren Vale

The heritage and history of Abruzzo is embodied in the gentle passion of this celebrated winery.

One of the great boons for Australian winemaking has been the influence of generations of determined, talented individuals arriving to our shores from the Old World during and after The Second World War. With them arrived knowledge and love of the land, and centuries of traditions in the ways of working it - traditions which the Mitolo family maintained following their migration to Australia in the 1950s.

"I gained much from my father, grandfather, and the Abruzzo region they came from," says Frank Mitolo, who founded Mitolo Wines in McLaren Vale in 1999 to pay homage to these roots. From its first release - the 2000 Mitolo Wines G.A.M. Shiraz - Mitolo has become a fixture in McLaren Vale winemaking, celebrated for crafting wines of great depth, flavour and intensity.

"They migrated with a strong connection to the land and a passion for wine." It was a journey shared by an entire generation offamilies, who found themselves immediately at home in the beautiful surrounds of McLaren Vale. "The region has had a huge Italian influence through default, with many of the established growers and wineries being home to a generation of new Australians," says Mitolo, who forged relationships among many fellow Italian growers that endure to this day - most notably with the Lopresti family of Whites Valley in the south of McLaren Vale.

The region has had a huge Italian influence through default, with many of the established growers and wineries being home to a generation of new Australians

- Frank Mitolo

"From inception, we've worked hand in hand with the Lopresti family to produce the fruit we need at the quality we strive for," Mitolo says. A first-generation Italian-Australian himself, Lopresti and Mitolo immediately clicked. "We still regularly meet at the farm for lunch and chat about life, family and wine, new or emerging styles, new varieties, what's working and what's not."

MITOLO AND THE GROWING INFLUENCE OF ITALIAN STYLE

The result of those ranging conversations has seen the Mitolo range expand over the years, from the region's signature Shiraz, Cabernet and Grenache, to embrace a host of Italian-origin varietals, including Sangiovese, Montepulciano, Nero d'Avola, Pecorino and Fiano: wines which Australian consumers once could barely pronounce, but which are now turning to as their knowledge of wine, and their palates, have expanded.

"They're gaining immense popularity by the day," observes Mitolo. "Gradually the heavy hitters have made way for wines with more elegance and finesse, savouriness, and a purer fruit expression." They are wines that, in many ways, evoke the Abruzzese ethos of forte e gentile - strong and gentle. "The region's motto is said to represent both the people and the landscape," Mitolo observes.

"Laid back, yet generous and hardworking." Clearly, Mitolo's proud Italian-Australian heritage is engrained in its endeavour to craft remarkable wines, like its Trophy-winning Cinquecento Sangiovese 2019. "I like the idea that our wines are strong and gentle - full of character while remaining elegant and approachable." Now that's the kind of sentiment worth raising a glass to among friends old and new.

Explore the history and heritage of fine Italian-inspired winemaking at mitolowines.com.au