Crypta is a project promoted by the Vignaioli Association in Grottaferrata to highlight the region’s heritage and identity through wine.
The name pays homage to Grottaferrata and derives from the “Crypta Ferrata” located within the Exarchic Monastery of Santa Maria. According to tradition, the Virgin Mary appeared here to Saints Nilus and Bartholomew, asking them to build a sanctuary dedicated to her, thus giving rise to the present-day Abbey of Saint Nilus.
The Abbey is the heart of the city and a unique place where the Western and Eastern Churches coexist through a Catholic community that preserves the Greek-Byzantine rite. Crypta was therefore created to tell the story—along with the wine—of Grottaferrata’s millennia-old history.
Crypta is a registered trademark of the Grottaferrata Winemakers’ Association. Each member winery produces its own wine, using the same name and the same trademark. The grapes must be grown, the wine must be made, and the wine must be bottled in Grottaferrata, in accordance with a set of shared regulations.
First unveiled at the Grottaferrata Fair and later at Vinitaly 2023, the project brought together the Association’s member wineries at a shared booth. Villa Cavalletti is participating in the initiative by helping to promote viticulture and the identity of Grottaferrata.
The connection between Crypta and the city’s history continued in 2024 with“Millennial Experiences,”an initiative organized to mark the millennium of the consecration of the Church of Santa Maria. Three events allowed participants to learn about the Byzantine rite and visit areas of the Abbey that had previously been off-limits to the public.
The tour included a visit to the historic winery, the monastery, and the library, followed by a tasting of five wines from the Vignaioli in Grottaferrata, featuring a preview of Crypta. Villa Cavalletti and La Torretta Bio extra virgin olive oils were also on display in the Pergolato Panoramico.
The sessions explored viticulture, climate change, Byzantine winemaking, the relationship with nature, and wine as a cultural vehicle.
Crypta and Millennial Experiences thus come together to form a single narrative: wine as an expression of the land and a means of preserving and sharing the history, spirituality, and culture of Grottaferrata.
Purchase Villa Cavalletti products at our estate or online at: https://www.villacavalletti.it/azienda-agricola/