L’Elba può vantare da tempo immemorabile una notevole tradizione enologica, riconosciuta già all’epoca di Plinio il Vecchio: “Isola feconda di vino”, ma, senza nulla togliere alla validità dei vitigni autoctoni e all’indiscussa vocazione vitivinicola dell’Elba, troviamo conferme nelle ottime performance evidenziate da alcune varietà insolite per il contesto elbano. L’azienda agricola Arrighi aveva raggiunto il minimo storico di superficie vitata negli anni ’70 (2 ettari) per poi ripartire, con una vasta gamma di vitigni (mezzo ettaro sperimentale), per verificare l’adattabilità alle condizioni pedoclimatiche del territorio e, sulla base dei risultati ottenuti (dopo ben 10 anni!!!), ha deciso di investire una parte della produzione su nuovi vitigni. Oggi sono presenti circa 6 ettari vitati.

Which people throughout the history of conquests and domination of Elba Island were the first to produce wine we do not know, but already in Roman times Pliny the elder described it as “insula vini ferax” and the amphorae found in different locations along the coast are a sign of active trade. Napoleon too, on his return to Paris, before the fatal Waterloo battle, remembering his Elban kingdom, had this to say: “The inhabitants of Elba are strong and healthy because the wine of their island gives strength and health”. The grandfather of the current owners, Italo Sapere, son of farmers and miners, also farmer and miner, abandoned the traditional work in the fields and set himself up in business in 1927. He built the first cellar of the family. Italo’s son, Teolo Ario, increased and developed the wine production begun by the father to enhance the Elban wines, managing the Estate until 1980. The Sapere family first appears in the Population Register held in the Parish of Capoliveri. In 1694 “Agostino Sapere, a farmer, originally from Salerno” disembarked on the island with his family. Perhaps he was following the manpower required to build the Fortress of Portolongone.