O'riginove: Carpineto's First Naturally Low-Alcohol Wine for Gen Z
Wine consumption is changing, and Carpineto, one of Tuscany's most storied producers, has answered with something entirely new: O'riginove, the estate's first naturally low-alcohol sparkling red. Playful from its very name, the wine is built around one idea — keep only the essential alcohol content, and let everything else about the wine's character, aroma and personality shine through.
It arrives at a telling moment. Research from the UIV-Vinitaly Observatory shows that wine consumption among younger drinkers isn't actually vanishing, as is often assumed — it's evolving. Generation Z drinks less frequently, but more consciously: they favor quality over quantity, gravitate toward red wines, drink increasingly outside the home, and are drawn to formats and occasions that break with tradition. O'riginove was designed squarely for that mindset — indulgent and responsible, festive and mindful.
Meet Carpineto: The House Behind O'riginove
Carpineto was founded in Chianti Classico in 1967 by two young friends, Antonio Mario Zaccheo and Giovanni Carlo Sacchet. Nearly sixty years later, it remains one of the most recognized names in Italian wine, still run by the same two families. The estate sustainably farms 500 hectares across five zero-emission properties spanning some of Tuscany's most historic wine regions: Chianti Classico, Vino Nobile di Montepulciano, Brunello di Montalcino, Alto Valdarno and Maremma.
Carpineto is best known for structured, age-worthy red wines and celebrated Super Tuscans, having created iconic labels such as Farnito and Dogajolo. It also holds a notable distinction: it was the first producer to make sparkling wine in Chianti Classico, back in the early 1980s — a pioneering streak that O'riginove now continues. The company has since earned a place in Italy's National Register of Historic Brands, obtained UNI/PdR 125:2022 Gender Equality Certification, and is a Corporate Golden Donor of FAI, Italy's national trust for cultural and environmental heritage.
The Vision of Caterina Sacchet
O'riginove is the work of Caterina Sacchet, winemaker and co-producer of Carpineto alongside Antonio Michael Zaccheo — representatives of the estate's second generation, rooted in tradition but open to experimentation.
Sacchet describes years of work behind the project: a wine that would preserve everything special about traditional winemaking while meeting the lifestyles and drinking habits of today. Her guiding idea, as she puts it, was to keep the spirit up and the alcohol down.
The lighter alcohol content isn't achieved through post-production manipulation — no dealcoholization, no shortcuts. Instead, Sacchet times the harvest precisely to naturally limit sugar (and therefore future alcohol) development in the grapes. The wine's sparkle comes from a second fermentation in autoclave, carried out at very low temperatures to protect its aromatic freshness, with residual sugar low enough to classify the wine as brut.
For Zaccheo, the wine is explicitly aimed at Generation Z — curious, quality-conscious consumers who want wines with something authentic to say, but in a lighter, more relaxed format. It's a philosophy the two describe as "sustainable luxury": pleasure and fun, without giving up on feeling good.
In the Glass
O'riginove pours a bright ruby red, with delicate aromas of fresh cherry, blackberry and currant lifted by its low-temperature refermentation. The palate is light and harmonious, backed by Sangiovese's typical tannic structure (85% of the blend), and closes on a long, floral finish. Low residual sugar classifies it as a brut, with early bottling preserving its freshness — chilled, juicy and easy to drink, simple pleasure in a glass.
Versatile by design, it suits an aperitivo with finger food, pairs surprisingly well with tuna tartare or shellfish stew, and holds its own against spicier bites like pulled pork or duck confit bao.
Carpineto
Address: Località Dudda, 17/B, Greve in Chianti (FI), Italy
Tel: +39 055 8549062
Email: info@carpineto.com
Website: http://www.carpineto.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Carpinetowines/
