Oakland, Ca. (AUGUST 6, 2015) – To Pietro Buttitta, a professional winemaker and chef, his plan isn’t crazy. Create an urban winery called Prima Materia, drop a kitchen in the middle of it, then make interesting wine and serious food. Funds are tight for low-tech businesses though, so like fellow winemakers Randall Grahm and Clark Smith, Buttitta is crowdfunding on Indiegogo. He is also planning pop-up dinners and other creative means to find the partners he needs to move his venture forward.
“Finding business capital is really tough for craftspeople, and alternative funding is becoming the only way. Prima Materia will be special in really exploring and maintaining food and wine history. That will include the migration and evolution of nebbiolo or aglianico, the potato, or the development of the fork. But, we are also winery number 8,500 in California, and just another winery and restaurant to a bank,” said Buttitta.
As winemaker at Rosa d’Oro Vineyards he planted grapes and made 90+ point wines from obscure Italian varieties few had heard of. He is also a professional chef with experience from Portland, Oregon to Michelin-starred Terra in Napa Valley and Archestratus Restaurant Consulting in the Bay Area. His wine and food are one part historical preservation and tradition with the other modern and global. His summary of Prima Materia is “Like Slow Food and Wine, but on fast forward and with better design.”
Prima Materia’s campaign is active now on www.indiegogo.com and will be live for 25 days. For more information visit www.prima-materia.co, or visit the campaign directly at http://igg.me/at/primamateria.
About Prima Materia:
Prima Materia will be an urban winery focusing on unique grapes crafted into wines with an Old World inflection. Within the winery they will also create a weekly dining program that explores moments and traditions in culinary history and culture. The wine and food will be both curatorial and preservationist on one hand while progressive and forward thinking on the other.
