The history, identity and values of Calvisius: Quality, Craftsmanship and Sustainability.
Calvisano is a typical town located in the middle of the Po Valley in the province of Brescia, an area rich in fresh spring water. The name comes from the Latin Calvisius, an ancient noble Roman and great gourmet.
The unique features of the pure water in the area are the foundation of the excellent ecosystem that ensures Calvisius caviar its authenticity and freshness and made it one of the most exquisite delicacies in the world cuisine.
Agroittica and Italian Caviar Srl, Agroittica Lombarda Group’s participated company, created the two product lines: Calvisius and Ars Italica Calvisius. The two represent two souls that have enabled the Group to be present on the world market with the widest variety of caviar produced entirely in their own facilities.
Over 150 acres of fresh water ponds are dedicated to the breeding of different varieties of the most valuable sturgeons, allowing the company to hold over 15% of the world production of farmed caviar.
Calvisius’ story begins in the late’70s with the birth of Agroittica, an avant-garde fish farm where an all Italian experience is created with respect for nature, passion for perfectly crafted products and a strong pursuit of perfection. A laboratory of caviar was later added together with a facility for the preparation of delicious smoked fish specialties.
A encounter between Gino Ravagnan, longtime partner of the company, and Russian Professor Serge Doroshov, marine biologist of Davis University in California, helps develop the innovative idea of breeding a sturgeon variety typical of the Pacific Ocean, the White Sturgeon, in the area of Calvisano, rich in pure water springs. The introduction of the new species represents for Agroittica the beginning of a great and prosperous adventure, making it the first company in Europe capable of breeding sturgeon in captivity.
Agroittica Lombarda puts to good use the years of commitment and care dedicated to the breeding of White Sturgeon. The precious roe of this species is ideal for a premium quality caviar, Calvisius Tradition, also called “the Black Gold of Calvisano” will soon conquer the most refined palates in Italy. The reason of the great success of Calvisius has to be attributed surely to both the unique characteristics of the territory in which the caviar is produced and to the innovative aquaculture techniques used for the breeding of sturgeons. Finally, the great craftsmanship of Calvisius “Caviar Masters” garantees this achievement.
The Washington Convention (CITES) includes sturgeon among species in danger of extinction. A key factor which contributes to the growth of the company. On the eve of the new millennium, Calvisius reaches a new milestone, with a constantly increasing demand and the introduction on the market of new types of caviar (Calvisius Siberian and Calvisius Tradition Elite),launching an international success story that begins to fascinate palates and major customers like Albereta by Gualtiero Marchesi, Dean & De Luca and the restaurant of the Four Seasons Hotel in New York.
Since 2000, Calvisius has been chosen by major international airlines for its pure and fresh caviar. Previously, these companies were forced to use only pasteurized caviar, of a lower quality. This extraordinary success allows the company to win the 2005 Mercury Award, which is given from ITCA (International Travel Catering Association) only to companies that have distinguished themselves for their excellence in the food and beverage category.
In 2008, the Italian Caviar project began. Thanks to a partnership with Agroittica Lombarda S.p.A., it gave rise to Ars Italica Calvisius, representing the production of sturgeon species farmed in the nature reserve of the Ticino Park. Among these, the Russian sturgeon stands out — a species native to the Caspian Sea and Black Sea.
In 2012, the production of Da Vinci caviar began: the return of authentic Italian caviar, obtained from the Adriatic sturgeon (Acipenser naccarii).
Opening of the U.S. headquarters with the goal of expanding our presence in the ever-growing American market.
The launch of new caviar lines—such as the exquisite Beluga for Calvisius, the refined Oscietra Imperial, and the delicate Da Vinci for Ars Italica Calvisius—went far beyond the most optimistic expectations, achieving international acclaim.
Prestigious restaurants like Massimo Bottura’s Osteria Francescana, named the world’s best restaurant in 2016 by The World’s 50 Best Restaurants, have chosen Calvisius and Ars Italica Calvisius as their caviar of choice for their culinary creations.
Success Knows No Bounds: Italian Caviar Enters the Land of the Tsars
Russia — the historic homeland of caviar — opens its doors to the excellence of Agroittica Lombarda. This achievement marks yet another milestone in a journey shaped by dedication, expertise, and the unwavering passion that Calvisius pours into every single product, ensuring the highest standards of quality year after year.
Opening of the Paris Office to Meet the Needs of the French Market
Calvisius continues its international expansion with the opening of a new office in Paris. This strategic step strengthens the brand’s presence in France, a key market for haute cuisine and gourmet excellence, allowing for closer collaboration with chefs, partners, and clients across the country.
Sustainability is a dynamic concept, and to stay true to its founding vision, Agroittica Lombarda has installed around 2,000 photovoltaic panels. This investment allows the hatchery and the fish farm to operate with energy self-sufficiency, reinforcing the company’s commitment to environmentally responsible practices.
The Calvisius Ambassadors and Calvisius Maisons are born: restaurants, chefs, and venues that embrace the vision and values of Calvisius Caviar.
Our values, our history. Our every gesture or action has always been guided by words such as Quality, Craftsmanship and Sustainability. These are the pillars of our daily values, the guiding principle and the goal of all our efforts.
We believe that the quality of our products relies directly upon the well-being of our sturgeons. Precisely for this reason in our farms we use only spring water and feed the sturgeons with the highest quality foods.
Since we are both breeders and manufacturers, we have direct control over every aspect of the lives of our sturgeons; this allows us to trace the history and origin of each package that we put on the market and provides us with any information regarding the origin of our products.
Sustainability
Since 1998, sturgeon has been listed by the Washington Convention as species in danger of extinction. At Calvisius we have been fighting every day for over 30 years to safeguard this endangered fish species. We were awarded the Certificate Friends of the Sea for the sustainable approach we have in breeding and our entire manufacturing facility is certified “BRC” and “IFS high level”, quite unique in the world of sturgeon breeders and caviar producers.
For over forty years, the expert hands of our dedicated Calvisius Masters have been taking care of our caviar, using advanced techniques combined with traditional production methods; this allows us to offer our customers a top quality caviar. The attention we pay to every detail made our caviar one of the most sought after delicacies of the gourmet world, capable of satisfying the most demanding palates.
The value of time
The constant quest for excellence drives us to try to meet the expectations of even the most demanding customers.
Connoisseurs will appreciate our caviar because it is processed in the traditional Russian method called “Malossol”, a word meaning “low salt.”
This technique allows us to bring out the differences between the various species and their different types of caviar, letting nature express its organoleptic and morphological biodiversity. In addition, the considerable size of the eggs and the various shades of color of our caviar make Calvisius a true symbol of style which is appreciated on the most prestigious tables around the world.
