After beginning his career meticulously tending to vineyards and producing wine in Ticino, Switzerland, Ettore developed his unconventional, maverick voice as an Italian and Swiss vigneron driven by innovation, thoughtful connection to nature, and a pursuit of exceptional quality—with a special affinity for soft, clear, and aromatically-precise organic wines.
Ettore’s quest for the purest possible expression of the vine brought him to Mendocino’s Sanel Valley along the northern stretches of the Russian River, where he discovered that the local tradition of all-natural agricultural suited his winemaking vision as much as the area’s exceptional terroir proved perfect for Chardonnay, Merlot, and Cabernet Sauvignon grapes—an epiphany that he describes as “love at first sight.” Here he decided to found the boutique Mendocino winery ETTORE.