In a world where it’s easier than ever to duplicate recipes, mass-produce flavors, and “just slap a label” on something, this story goes in the opposite direction.
This is the story of Bella Red — a wine born not from convenience, but from intention, heritage, and hands-on craftsmanship.
Back in August 2025, what started as a conversation turned into a two-hour blending session built on experimentation, patience, and precision. Together, we measured, adjusted, tasted, and refined. Ten percent changes made dramatic differences. Percentages were shifted. Palates were challenged. Notes were debated.
The final blend?
• 50% Petite Sirah
• 25% Primitivo
• 25% Cabernet Sauvignon
A combination we had never created before at Sculpterra Winery.
This wasn’t an off-the-shelf wine. It wasn’t a private label pulled from inventory. It was crafted barrel by barrel — eight barrels total — resulting in just 200 cases. Small. Intentional. Personal.
And the story goes deeper than the blend.
The label itself carries history. A childhood photo. A cowboy outfit. A nickname that crossed oceans.
Born in Italy, raised with Italian culture, and now proudly an American citizen — the name “Bella” became more than a nickname. It became identity. Friends in Italy called him Bella. Friends in the United States adopted it. It stuck. It traveled. It evolved.
“Bella Red” represents both worlds.
Not “Belarosa” — which leans fully Italian — but Bella Red. A bridge between cultures. Italian roots. American spirit. That cowboy outfit on the label says everything without saying a word.
There’s also a culinary connection.
The restaurant, Frugatti’s, founded in 1990, has always stood for doing things from scratch. Wood-fired ovens. Handmade recipes. No shortcuts. No duplication. No copying trends from a restaurant supply show and recreating them from cans or frozen food.
That philosophy mirrors the wine.
If the food is layered and wood-fired, the wine needed to match. A multitude of flavors. Depth. Structure. Boldness from Petite Sirah. Rustic richness from Primitivo. Familiar backbone from Cabernet Sauvignon.
Not overpowering. Not simple. Not predictable.
Complex enough to stand beside a wood-fired dish. Balanced enough to invite another sip.
And maybe the most special part of all — the bottling day.
Family on the bottling line. Learning the process. Seeing how wine moves from barrel to bottle. Hands-on involvement. The next generation witnessing craftsmanship instead of convenience.
This is what small-batch winemaking looks like.
It’s collaboration.
It’s heritage.
It’s experimentation.
It’s culture.
It’s pride.
It’s family.
It’s identity.
Bella Red isn’t just a blend.
It’s a story in a bottle.
If you believe food should be made from scratch…
If you believe wine should be crafted, not copied…
If you believe identity can live inside flavor…
Then Bella Red might just be your kind of wine.
