Scotto Cellars
140 Years of Winemaking with Scotto Family Cellars
“Our family’s vinous heritage and history dates to 1883 when Salvatore Dominic Scotto, an officer in the Italian Navy, began making wine at his home on the Island of Ischia, just off the coast of Italy,” says Paul Scotto. "Salvatore’s son Dominic immigrated to Brooklyn in 1903 and continued the family’s winemaking tradition in America. Dominic’s sons sold his homemade wine in five-gallon crocks from the family’s wooden pushcart. After prohibition, sons Anthony Sr. (our grandfather) and his older brother Sal created Villa Armando (nicknamed Rustico), a flavorful, fruity, full-bodied blend of Zinfandel, Alicante, and Muscat. Rustico has filled 200,000,000+ glasses since its inception and is still produced today, making it one of California’s oldest wine brands.”
In 1933 the Scotto brothers opened D. Scotto Wines in Brooklyn and sold quality wines from around the world for decades. In 1963, the family went west and celebrated their first harvest in California. Now, this fifth-generation, family-owned winery is led by four Scotto siblings: Paul handles winemaking, Anthony serves as CEO, Natalie as COO, and Michael oversees production and logistics.
Family Pride in Every Sip
Although they now have multiple brands, “We take special pride in these Scotto Family Cellars releases, as the family name is on the package,” says Anthony. “The wine styles reflect our family’s tradition of well balanced, food-friendly wines.”
Both of our featured wines come from the Mohr-Fry Ranch in Lodi. “We’re proud to have some of Lodi’s finest growers as our partners, including the Fry Family and their Mohr-Fry Ranch Vineyard,” says Anthony. “We share a multi-generational history with the Fry family, and a devotion to crafting some of Lodi’s finest wines.” The Fry family is also five generations strong, and they boast more than 150 years of farming in California.
“The Sangiovese and Petite Sirah were harvested separately at optimal ripeness in the early morning and rushed to the winery,” says Winemaker Paul Scotto. “After fermentation in tank, individual lots were aged for 22 months in small American, French, and Eastern European oak barrels before blending and bottling. Sauvignon Blanc fruit was harvested in the third week of August and directly pressed into stainless-steel tanks to initiate a long, slow, cold fermentation. We put a portion of it into custom French oak Sauvignon Blanc barrels to finish and age for two months, thus adding broadness and complexity to this fresh, brightly balanced wine.”
When visiting Lodi, be sure to include a stop at the Scotto’s new tasting room, serving handcrafted cider and wine, in the charming and historic downtown. This area is dotted with small, friendly tasting rooms. “Family winemakers have always been the backbone of California’s vineyards and wineries, especially here in Lodi, the heart of California’s wine country,” says Paul. “We hope you enjoy our namesake brands with family, food, and friends, as our family has done for five generations.”
The fabulous wines we featured:
2018 Mohr-Fry Ranch, Lodi Reserve Sangiovese
- 86 Points, Wine Enthusiast
- Pair with: Rustic pastas, meat pizza, and roasted pork.
- Enjoy now or hold up to 3 years.
Tasting Notes: On the nose, deep crème de cassis (Kir) is upfront with white pepper and pomegranate. Flavors of tart wild berry with big structure. Black cherry and spice in the center of the palate, full-bodied, bright, and balanced with a long finish showing nice aging potential.
2021 Mohr-Fry Ranch, Lodi Reserve Sauvignon Blanc
- 93 Points, Silver Medal, California State Fair Wine Competition
- 88 Points, Best Buy, Wine Enthusiast
- Enjoy now or hold up to 2 years.
Tasting Notes: This has an interesting combination of grapefruit and pineapple aromatics that carry onto a palate accented with sweet herbs, melon, and a hint of lime for a crisp, dry release. Well balanced, and broad with structure and a long finish. This wine has been a consistent “Best Buy” over many years.
Winemaker's Notes
2018 Mohr-Fry Ranch, Lodi Reserve Sangiovese: Mohr-Fry Ranch Vineyard in Lodi supplied all the fruit. The vineyard is Lodi Rules Certified Sustainable. The wine aged for 22 months in French, American, and Eastern European oak barrels.
2021 Mohr-Fry Ranch, Lodi Reserve Sauvignon Blanc: Mohr-Fry Ranch Vineyard in Lodi supplied all the fruit. The vineyard is Lodi Rules Certified Sustainable.
Lodi, CA
Scotto Family
Paul Scotto, Mark Smith and Mitch Consentino