Hauner

Carlo Hauner, a Brescian of Bohemian origins who settled in the Aeolian Islands, was the creator of the farm that bears his name. As a young man, he was a painter and, not yet twenty, exhibited at the Venice Biennale.

In the years of maturity Hauner He has achieved significant international success as a designer. His passion for winemaking can be seen as the latest challenge in an intense life filled with interests.

He first arrived in the Aeolian Islands in 1963, when tourism was making its first tentative appearances. After a few summer holidays (which became longer each year), he moved to Salina in the 1970s. Always restless and curious, he was attracted by the cultivation of Malvasia, the grapes that local farmers harvest in mid-September and leave to dry in the sun for a couple of weeks. According to the traditional method, the grapes are exposed outdoors on racks during the day and taken out at sunset. Hauner He thus learns local winemaking techniques and integrates them with the study of ancient and modern texts.

When he decided that his acquired knowledge and creativity could contribute to a wine once known as the "nectar of the gods," he sought out plots of land left uncultivated by the massive emigration that brought thousands of Aeolians to Australia and the Americas. He managed to acquire about twenty hectares, which he cleared, restored to their ancient terraces, and revived as vineyards. Hauner introduces some innovations: he lets the grapes dry on the vine and experiments with cooling techniques during fermentation. Small revolutions that fascinate experts, starting with Veronelli, and that bring the Malvasia di Hauner on the tables of prestigious restaurants, first in Italy and then in France, the United States, Great Britain, Japan and other countries. The new Hauner's cellar It was built in the 1980s in Lingua, the charming hamlet of Santa Marina Salina. The Aeolian-style building is equipped with a modern refrigeration system and steel barrels alongside wooden aging tanks, with a total capacity of 1,200 hectoliters. The inauguration of the new cellar coincides with the ever-growing interest in the reborn Malvasia It arouses interest among critics, journalists, television crews, winemakers, producers and simple enthusiasts of classy wines.

Visits to the cellar and the “Character Carlo Hauner” are increasingly frequent and contribute to spreading the fame of the Aeolian archipelago and the prestigious wine produced there throughout the world. And it is in those years that the company adds to the Malvasia The Salina Bianco, The Salina Rosso (medium-strength table wines) and Antonello, a fine-lineage product aged in barriques. After Carlo Hauner's passing in February 1996, the company has been energetically led by his son Carlo Junior, with the invaluable assistance of his wife Cristina and sons Andrea and Michele. Today, approximately 50,000 bottles of Malvasia are produced, divided into two versions: natural and passito.