Our History

A Long Time Ago In An Italian Village

For generations, our ancestors throughout Italy and Sicily mastered their crafts as wine makers, cheese makers and farmers while passing along their traditions, knowledge and culture.

1955 - 1965

Family patriarchs Saulle Angotti, a master gardener, and Onofrio Provvidenza, a master gardener and wine maker, immigrate to the United States with only their skills, passion and work ethic to create a prosperous future for their families.

1965

Attracted by economic prosperity, the Provvidenza family make Western NY their home where they can contribute to American society through their trades. They are immediately recognized and embraced for their skills as master wine makers, gardeners and bakers.

1970

The Angotti family opens an Italian delicatessen to celebrate their culinary and cultural heritage. It is in this humble deli that our owner will first experience these family traditions as a small child which will shape his future to come.

1977

Our owner, Fausto Angotti, is born in Rochester, NY to entrepreneur Faust Angotti, Sr. and Maria Provvidenza, a skilled home-cook and wine maker's daughter. Avery aspect of daily life seemed to involve food. Whether it was preparing or eating a family meal, tending to the family garden or visiting family to make wine, sausage or bread - food and drink was always an integral part of the gathering.

1977 - 1982

By age 5, Fausto begins to learn the ways of the Angotti traditions while tugging on the apron strings of his father in the deli. Without knowing it, Fausto was learning the valuable lessons of hard work, business, serving the customer and having love for your craft.

During this time, Fausto also witnesses the masterful skills of his grandfathers. He fondly remembers Saulle Angotti tending to his tomato and vegetable garden and Onofrio Provvidenza caring for his grape vines that seemed to grow endlessly up trellises and over his head. The vivid memories of ripe grapes on the vine that magically became wine in a dark, dusty cellar subconsciously sparked Fausto's future passions for making wine and beer of his own.

1982

The Angotti family trade in their flour and baker's yeast for barley and hops. They enter into the retail beer industry which was on the dawn of a national and global Renaissance. It was in the aisles of this ground-breaking specialty beer store that young Fausto Angotti developed his passion for beer and incomparable knowledge of it. 

1980's - 1990's

During this period, the beer industry experiences immense growth and, at around age 13, Fausto begins actively studying all aspects of beer and brewing. He continues to work alongside his father, just as he did as a small boy at the deli, learning about retail business and the art of customer service.

1994

At just age 17, Fausto Angotti learns to make beer and wine and begins mastering the art of fermentation. After a year of study, Fausto becomes a self-taught wine maker carrying on the tradition of his grandfather.

2000

At age 23, and after years of studying beer and brewing, Fausto becomes an industry expert and skilled brewer. With this accomplishment, Fausto starts his first company and, like his father, becomes a pioneer in the beer industry. He develops the first company dedicated to educating people about beer through private beer tasting events and seminars. Fausto's depth of knowledge about beer makes him a sought after consultant for businesses in the brewing and service industries. During this period, Fausto not only works in the professional brewing industry, but he also begins mastering his skills as a bread maker, gardener and cheese maker like the generations that preceded him.

2007

Fausto's passion for brewing and teaching others leads him to open the Bruhaus, a small home brewing and wine making supply company serving customers all over the world. This company quickly becomes a highly-rated success and was the beginning of Olive Wood Brewing & Craft Co as we know it today.

2007 - 2015

Despite a tumultuous economic climate around the world, Fausto's brewing wisdom and unmatched customer service grow the company from a small stock room to a larger facility in 2010. After 4 more years of growth, we expand yet again in 2014. Fausto knew that this was still not the end goal for his company. Rather, this was just the beginning of his vision.

2015 - Present

After nearly a decade, a new identity is born and the business is renamed Olive Wood Brewing & Craft Co. It represents a new beginning of carrying on old traditions with a refined mission. It is a culmination of years of continuous learning and improvement on how we can best serve our customers today. Olive Wood Brewing & Craft Co now provides artisans around the world with supplies for making all kinds of fermented foods and beverages including cider, kombucha, cheese, bread, yogurt, vinegar, and so much more.

Future

We wish we could tell you what our vision holds for the future so we hope that you join us in our journey to see where it leads...