Villa Sant'Angelus is our family's legacy intertwined with almost three thousand years of Italian history
Ninety acres of olive groves, vineyards, rolling hills, and afternoon breezes. Sant'Angelus invokes whispers of the Italian past but the reminder to live in the present. A life among provincial woods and cultivated farmland, ancient castles and enduring farmhouses. A home producing wine and olive oil of the utmost quality.
Sant’Angelus arose from the desire to build a business centered around family. For us and for our two daughters.
After our respective legal careers, as well as twenty years of owning a software company, we sought out this legacy.
It came in the form of a farming estate in Canonica, in the Italian countryside, steeping our Seattle-based perspectives in Italian culture.
We chose Canonica not only for its unparalleled agricultural attributes but also for its hillside location. The lush scenery and history of the Umbrian countryside and the town of Todi enthralled us.
Sant’Angelus arose from the desire to build a business centered around family. For us and for our two daughters.
After our respective legal careers, as well as twenty years of owning a software company, we sought out this legacy.
It came in the form of a farming estate in Canonica, in the Italian countryside, steeping our Seattle-based perspectives in Italian culture.
We chose Canonica not only for its unparalleled agricultural attributes but also for its hillside location. The lush scenery and history of the Umbrian countryside and the town of Todi enthralled us.
All about our wine
The vineyards
Sant’Angelus encompasses 3.3 hectares (8 acres) of vineyards with excellent southern orientation.
Sant'Angelus vineyards grow in clay loam soil, soil that produces some of the best and most complex wines in the world.
We irrigate the vineyard using a drip system and existing wells on the estate. This system helps us better control the amount of stress the vines undergo in a given season to produce ideal fruit and, in turn, great wine.
The process
Our wine philosophy is to make the best wine possible. So, we create ours from start to finish.
We involve ourselves in the process from cultivation of the excellent fruit on our estate to the bottling process with our winemaker Alessandro Carletto.
Not only is Alessandro extremely qualified, with degrees in enology and agriculture, but he understands what we are trying to achieve with our wines and the company.
Now, Alessandro has oversight of the vineyard as well.
The result
We pride ourselves on well-balanced, powerful, and creatively made wine.
Above all else, we enjoy telling our story, and Villa Sant'Angelus's story, through each bottle.
All about our olive oil
The olive trees
Sant'Angelus has primarily frantoio olive trees with a small percentage of taggiasca.
The region of Umbria is well known for the high quality of its extra virgin olive oil.
Our trees range in age from 20 to 100 years.
The process
We typically harvest in mid October, the beginning of the season. In October, we attempt to capture the oil at the point at which it has the most flavor and the highest level of heart healthy polyphenols.
We perform the harvest with handheld combs and tarps underneath the trees.
After the harvest, the olives are quickly taken to be pressed before they have an opportunity to lose their peak flavors. We cold press the olives using the extra virgin process and do not filter the oil.
The result
Our process results in a slightly green oil, easily distinguished from later harvested oils, which tend to be yellower and milder, like cooking oils.
A Look into the Past
From 400 AD to the 1400s
During the Middle Ages, Umbria became a papal state
1100s
The "San Angelo" Monastery
The site we now call Villa Sant'Angelus made up part of an ancient Carmelite monastery named after “San Angelo” in Italian (Sant’Angelus in Latin).
Angelus was a contemporary of Saint Francis, the region’s most famous saint who lived in the nearby town of Assisi.
Starting in the 12th century, Carmelites made their home here. These friars lived in silence, wearing white vestaments and producing goods such as wine, olive oil, honey, and vegetables for themselves and the nearby citizens of Todi. Sound familiar?
1600s
The Villa is born!
Our home originally served as the refectory or dining hall of the monastery.
2003
Yuriy becomes the estate's caretaker
In creating Sant'Angelus, we hoped the estate’s longtime caretaker, Yuriy Shukatka, would elect to stay with the estate.
Yuriy has lived on the property for twenty years and truly knows it like no other. In fact, he planted many of the olive trees by hand, raised his family on the estate, and developed a comprehensive understanding of how to manage the property.
Today, we will always be glad and grateful Yuriy chose to stay.
2020
Discovering Sant'Angelus
We discovered the property that became the Sant’Angelus estate.
We discovered a well designed vineyard needing some improvements, regular supervision, and maintenance. We found beautiful olive trees in excellent condition, simply needing more consistent pruning.
We discovered a way of life for our family: newfound legacy, deep-rooted history, and everlasting family values.
January 2021
Making Sant'Angelus our own
We decided to intertwine our family's legacy with that of the Villa's by acquiring this estate in Umbria, the "Green Heart" of Italy, known for its exquisite wine and olive oil production.
Our friend Michelangelo Fasoli, an attorney from Sant’Ambrogio di Valpolicella, helped us greatly in acquiring the property.
Now on our board, Michelangelo advises us from both a legal and cultural perspective, helping us make Sant'Angelus our own.
Spring 2023
Planting more & more
In Spring 2023, we planted an additional 1.5 hectares of Syrah. In 2024, we plan to plant Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc and more Chardonnay.