In-Store Tasting with Dr. Benjamin Franchetti, Head of Vini Franchetti, & Steward of Tenuta di Trinoro & Passopisciaro, Friday, September 25, 2026, 7:00PM - 8:15PM

We are thrilled to welcome Dr. Benjamin Franchetti, head of Vini Franchetti and steward of acclaimed estates Tenuta di Trinoro and Passopisciaro. Given the pedigree and cult status of these twin estates, this is an exceptional and unique tasting event not to miss. Ben represents a fascinating new chapter for Italian fine wine. His late father, the legendary Andrea Franchetti, was a true visionary: in the early 1990s he planted virgin land in Tuscany’s remote Val d’Orcia – terrain that had known only wild roses and sheep grazing for a century – exclusively with Bordeaux varieties, coaxing a Cabernet Franc-led Super Tuscan of cult renown from clay-limestone soils he likened to Saint-Émilion’s. A decade later he turned his eye to Mount Etna, where he was among the first to recognize that no two lava flows produce the same wine; his pioneering work mapping the volcano’s individual Contrade essentially created the Grand Cru atlas of Etna still used today. Ben now carries that legacy forward with a PhD in engineering from Imperial College London, bringing an incredibly precise, data-driven climate-science approach to mapping the iconic Contrade lava flows of Etna and the high-density Bordeaux-style parcels of Southern Tuscany.

Wines to be poured:

2024 Passopisciaro Passobianco Terre Siciliane IGP, 94JS ($50)

2023 Tenuta di Trinoro Toscana Bianco IGT, 93JS ($95)

2024 Passopisciaro Passorosso Etna Rosso, 93V, 93JS ($47)

2023 Passopisciaro Contrada C Terre Siciliane Rosso IGP, 96JD, 93V, 93WS ($110)

2023 Passopisciaro Contrada S Terre Siciliane Rosso IGP, 96JD, 95V, 95JS ($110)

2023 Tenuta di Trinoro Cupole Toscana Rosso IGT, 94+WA, 94JS, 93WS ($44)

2023 Tenuta di Trinoro Campo di Magnacosta Toscana Rosso IGT, 97WA, 95V, 95WS ($160)

2023 Tenuta di Trinoro Campo di Tenaglia Toscana Rosso IGT, 98WA, 96V, 96JS, 96F, 94WS ($160)

Cheese & charcuterie will be served.

All wines poured will be available for purchase at a 10% discount after the event.

Cancellations must be received at least 48 hours before start time for a refund or transfer to another class or event. All attendees must be 21 years of age or older and pay for admission to the event. This includes designated drivers and caregivers.

ABOUT PASSOPISCIARO

In 2000 Andrea Franchetti decided to restore an old farm and cellars on the slopes of Mount Etna, an active volcano in northeastern Sicily. The winery sits at about a thousand meters of altitude above the small wine town of Passopisciaro on the northern slope of the volcano. His first task was to clear and restore long-abandoned terraces of ancient vines on the northern slopes of the mountain, replanting at a density of 12,000 vines per hectare on thin lavic soil. His arrival on Etna helped to initiate the renaissance of viticulture on the mountain and an international discovery of the wines of Etna. At Passopisciaro, he focuses on the native grape Nerello Mascalese and its various expressions of terroir and altitudes through a series of crus.

The high altitude, sun-drenched vineyards are idyllic yet a constant plume of smoke and the odd ash-filled belch present a constant reminder that Etna is indeed a volcano with attitude, given to relatively frequent lava spills. These spills devastate the landscape, yet each flow leaves a unique mineral profile, giving rise to the notion of various terroirs, here called contrade. The borders of the contrade reflect old feudal property lines, which are still mapped out on the local land registry.

ABOUT TENUTA DI TRINORO

Located in a remote corner of southeastern Tuscany, Tenuta di Trinoro specializes in rich, age-worthy red wines made of Cabernet Franc, Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Petit Verdot. The 200-hectare estate sits in viticultural isolation in the Orcia Valley near Sarteano, where Tuscany meets Umbria and Lazio.

Owner and winemaker Andrea Franchetti acquired the property in the 1980s and in the beginning of the 1990s started planting his first vines. The most important lesson he gleaned from a stint in Bordeaux was the crucial role played by terroir. He saw, in the rough woodland that would become Trinoro, clay-limestone and gravel soils reminiscent of those in Saint-Émilion. Only select parcels were suitable for vine-growing, amid a sea of blue clay, and those he cleared by hand and planted in the style of the Bordelais: high-density, meter-by-meter plantings, with cuttings brought over from some of the region’s great estates.

Tight planting, high thinning, very low yields, extreme ripeness, and concentration of flavor characterize his winemaking style. The wines are highly perfumed and opulent, at once approachable and meant to be left to develop in the bottle over time.

Please note that there are no tickets for Wine House classes or events. Your name will be on the Attendee List at the entrance.