His family has cultivated grapes here for centuries Monteforte d’Alpone is one of those places where wine is everywhere and everything These volcanic rolling hills on the eastern edge of Italy’s Soave appellation are covered as far as the eye can see with slope upon slope of vineyards The Gini family has been cultivating wine grapes here for more than 400 years their winery has not only been a pillar of quality Soave Classico it has also quietly produced “natural wines”—using organic cultivation ambient yeasts and minimal sulfite additions at bottling—long before it became cool had sold most of his grapes to the mega-scale producer Bolla while making some wine for local trattorias We will vinify everything!’” says Sandro Gini but with no good art academy close to home for him to continue he opted instead for viticulture and winemaking “All the great artists were inspired by how nature creates,” he says surveying the family’s prized sloping vineyards from a nearby hilltop Sandro joined his father for the 1980 vintage producing 250 cases of Soave Classico from 20 acres in Monteforte and selling off the rest of their wine in bulk The Gini family’s evolution ever since has been as steady as their success They have tripled their vineyard holdings in Monteforte and planted another 60 acres in the nearby Valpolicella appellation during decades in which Soave’s image suffered from overproduction of characterless wines the Ginis improved their offerings in every way Matteo—who make up the core of the winery staff today—continue to experiment going beyond organics to use only herbal "tea" treatments to prevent disease in some vineyards and contemplate new single-vineyard wines for the future Their flagship whites—deliciously well-rounded single-vineyard Soave Classico bottlings—come from their historic vineyards a cool-climate terroir whose basaltic-soil slopes are fanned by winds from the nearby Alpine foothills These sites, planted to Garganega vines trained high overhead on pergolas, yield wines such as Gini Soave Classico La Froscà 2015 (91 points, $29) and the late-harvest Contrada Salvarenza Vecchie Vigne 2015 (90 points Gini’s vines range in age from 60 years to more than 100, with the oldest vines planted on their own roots, rather than grafted to phylloxera-resistant rootstock. Since he began, Sandro says, the family hasn’t replanted a single vineyard, adding, “For me, that’s important because, in the 1980s, [area nurseries] selected grapes for high production, not quality.” For the Ginis, the 1980s were a period of creative change—going against the tide of mass-produced Soave flooding the market. In 1985, long before it became a trend, Sandro became convinced that vinifying without added sulfites would enhance wine complexity and aromas, so he stopped using them and only doses with low levels at bottling to ensure stability. “We risked everything,” he says. “But we knew it would work.” Sandro also designed new cellars—cavernous, stone-and-brick spaces with classic arches—that his father built, over the span of 20 years, behind the family house and old winery. The naturally cool, gravity-flow facilities are used today to vinify and age all the family’s Soaves. Since the Ginis had always relied on ambient yeasts for fermentations, when they inaugurated a new fermenting cellar in 1987, Sandro selected yeasts by scraping residue out of his grandfather’s long-abandoned wine casks. He used those yeasts to start fermentation that year, and ever since the cellar’s yeast population has started fermentations spontaneously. That same year, Sandro scouted a hillside nine miles away in Valpolicella that largely contained abandoned farmland, along with some high-altitude vineyards. A study of the soils and climate found them to be near-Burgundian. Only 29 at the time, Sandro needed to convince his father to experiment with new vineyards there. “This is our future,” he explained to Olinto. His father responded: “All I see is a mountain of rocks.” But Olinto had one piece of advice for his son: If you believe in it, don’t just buy a couple of acres, buy all you can. After years of painstaking work to clear, terrace and plant the area, it has since become Gini’s center for red wines, including Pinot Noir, Valpolicella and Amarone. Though Olinto died in 2010, the family remains close, with most Ginis literally living on top of one another in buildings above or next to the winery. Three generations—topped by family matriarch Maria—gather for lunch every day at a long table in the ancestral home to eat and to taste together. “Everyone in the family has strong feelings about wine,” Sandro says. Last year, Sandro was elected president of the consortium of Soave producers and growers, and he set to work immediately to boost the appellation quality by limiting production in Soave’s fertile lowlands. This year, for the first time, the consortium will decide which vineyards to de-classify in July—a radical step because it will analyze their state of health months before harvest, rather than being based on average yields. “With this system, only the best vineyards that are in balance will go into Soave,” Sandro says. “The producers accepted it because if we are serious, Soave can take off.” The first family of Sicilian wine teams with French investors to make biodynamic, bi-cultur… As CEO of Houston’s Goodnight Hospitality—the group behind restaurants March, Rosie … Winemaker Jared Etzel moves on from Domaine Roy & Fils to success with a new Pinot Noir … Winemakers bringing the region’s terroir to the fore Top wine pros share the sweet wines they think deserve more love, from Pedro Ximénez Sherry … Castello Solicchiata is the volcano’s most historic noble winery. Why is it hidden away? This website is using a security service to protect itself from online attacks The action you just performed triggered the security solution There are several actions that could trigger this block including submitting a certain word or phrase You can email the site owner to let them know you were blocked Please include what you were doing when this page came up and the Cloudflare Ray ID found at the bottom of this page Sign up for our daily Newsletter and stay up to date with all the latest news You are receiving this pop-up because this is the first time you are visiting our site You are using software which is blocking our advertisements (adblocker) we are relying on revenues from our banners So please disable your adblocker and reload the page to continue using this site.Thanks The harvesting of mountain cherries on the Lessinia plateau (Verona) proceeds smoothly The Bolla company owns around 25 hectares and works with a series of producers as well "Our company is located at the foothills of Val d'Alpone and processing and packaging cherries since the 1970s Varietal innovation is key for our company We start in the Verona plain with the produce in greenhouses and end with mountain cherries from Lessinia our fruit is available until late July," explains Roberto Bolla The harvesting of Lessinia cherries has started with the Grace Star grades exceed 26 mm and crunchiness and flavor are exceptional clamshells or flowpacks depending on client needs." The sales channels are Italian and foreign retail chains Lessinia is still free from Drosophila suzukii as there are no other orchards or crops that act as "incubators" the cherry season started in late April with greenhouse varieties also due to the absence of the fruit from Puglia Contacts:Bolla Ferdinando SrlVia Perazzolo 13/b37032 Monteforte D'Alpone (VR) - ItalyTel.: +39 045 7612025Email: [email protected]Website: www.bollaferdinando.it FreshPublishers © 2005-2025 FreshPlaza.com Driving west along the motorway from Venice toward Milan travellers’ eyes are drawn a few kilometres before Verona to two sights that appear in the distance: the tall thin church spire of Monteforte d’Alpone and the imposing medieval fortress overlooking the town of Soave For anyone arriving from the plain of the Veneto these historic landmarks form the gateway to the vineyards of the region’s most famous still white wine Imposing medieval fortress overlooking the town of Soave in Veneto The visual impact of the landscape is unforgettable With valleys and hills reaching over 500 metres above sea level The terraced vineyards are buttressed by dry stone walls hand built by the farmers who have been the custodians of this unique agricultural ecosystem for countless generations In recognition of its traditional system’s integrated social the Soave viticultural area has been designated by the United Nations’ Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) a Globally Important Agricultural Heritage System Climate change has spurred a revival of the centuries-old pergola Veronese training system in the Soave region Garganega accounts for the majority of its 6,500ha under vine but producers are also rediscovering the potential of Trebbiano di Soave as a complementary variety has spurred a revival of the centuries-old pergola Veronese training system which provides ripening grapes with protection from the extremes of summer heat Soave is widely associated with the tangy intensity that derives from its volcanic soils and studies conducted by the producers’ Consorzio have linked specific flavours with its different soils Notes of citrus and almonds are typical of wines from the volcanic hills while those from calcareous areas offer more florality and tropical fruit Many of the most famed plots sit within the Classico area of the ‘Unità Geografica Aggiunta’ (UGA) system which gives producers the opportunity to indicate specific vineyard sites on their labels now shines a spotlight on other distinctive terroirs but also has the ability to develop intriguing complexity with bottle age Soave Superiore DOCG – sometimes aged in oak – has the extra structure that calls for haute cuisine food pairing and the ancient practice of drying grapes for sweet wines is kept alive in the exquisite Recioto di Soave All three styles continue the excellence of a winemaking tradition with records dating from the 6th century AD and the authenticity of a viticultural area tended by communities that ‘live in an intricate relationship with their territory.’ the production of cherries has been lower than usual in Verona as few fruits set and there was widespread dropping At least grades are better for it," reports Roberto Bolla one of the leading cherry players in northern Italy founded by his father over 40 years ago "The cherry season in Verona started slowly around April 20th with the first quantities of the produce in greenhouses the rain throughout May ruined good part of the produce especially early varieties such as Bigarreau the quantities of products collected up until June 10th were rather modest but now quality and quantities are in line with a normal season." We are currently harvesting the produce from the hills at 500 meters asl all varieties with an excellent taste such as Kordia the leading varieties were practically similar to those that can be found in Puglia Ferrovia or local varieties such as Mora di Verona producers have been focusing on high-quality cultivars less susceptible to cracking with interesting grades such as 28-30 or higher and which ripen around 15 days later than Kordia our chain is made up of over 500 families of producers We start in greenhouses and end with the Lessinia plateau 900 m asl This enables us to always have fresh produce and prolong supply." the company started working with 80 producers from Trento who will start harvesting operations on July 5-8 and continue until the end of the month just think that other stone fruits such as peaches plums and prunes are very early and harvesting will start next week "All the produce is commercialized via the Italian big retail chain They are placed in trays or cups as requested by the client (300 Transport is carried out exclusively with our vehicles to guarantee the cold chain." For more information:Bolla Ferdinando s.r.l.Via Perazzolo 13/b37032 Monteforte d'Alpone (VR) - Italy+39 045 7612025[email protected]www.bollaferdinando.it Continuando a navigare questo sito acconsenti all'utilizzo dei cookie sul browser come descritto nella nostra Cookie Policy The 2024 European elections represent a significant moment for the European Union and its citizens Solid electoral participation and emerging political trends help to define the future of the European Union and the role of the European Parliament in the coming years Official website of the 2024 European elections with useful information for voting Insieme-per.eu is a pan-European community fostering democratic participation Indirizzi PEC del Comune di Venezia Call Center Unico tel. (+39) 041 2747070 Graziano Prà tears around the volcanic hillside vineyards of Soave Classico on an all-terrain quad then ducks low as he veers under the head-height pergolas holding up vines dangling golden grapes Every so often he stops, picks some fruit, tastes and moves on to the next hillside—ending at Monte Grande the fruit-bearing canes have already been cut—a traditional but now rare process that causes the grape bunches to slightly dehydrate and concentrate their flavors over the course of weeks “The grapes are ready,” Prà announces at the end of the morning We’ll start at the bottom of the hills and climb up.” he has grown from a first-generation winemaking novice to an influential producer in the world of Northern Italian white wine he has been a key figure in a relatively small club of producers who have fought to distinguish themselves from the sea of generic Soave (once America’s most imported Italian white) produced mainly on the fertile flatlands “Soave never developed a prestigious reputation,” he laments on the back terrace of his home and winery in his native Veneto town of Monteforte d’Alpone As he looks out at serene vineyards that rise past willow and plane trees to the top of a ridge I saw that it gave me something real—and wines that could age.” Prà eats a home-cooked lunch most days with his young staff of thirtysomethings assistant enologist Marco Fusa and Prà’s right-hand manager Diego Corradi Prà starts most mornings early in the winery where he has been known to literally sniff around the place to determine if his fermentations and aging wines are well “The nose for me is the most important part of this job,” he says Prà has been led by a reliable nose for quality He hails from a sprawling Soave grapegrowing family that sold grapes to cooperatives and large producers Prà studied enology and went to work for others started Prà in a rented old winery that had fallen into disuse they purchased grapes and cultivated Monte Grande’s four acres of Garganega and Trebbiano di Soave they launched a single-vineyard Monte Grande bottling the brothers built the first iteration of their winery Prà was able to control fermentation temperatures “I felt like I was touching the sky,” he says he continued to grow and refine the project while buying out his brother who has always farmed organically and achieved certification five years ago now works close to 130 acres and produces about 30,000 cases annually in an expanded winery About 20 of those vineyard acres climb and sprawl over a limestone-rich hill called Monte Bisson calcareous soils here add a piercing freshness to his Soave Classico blends that complements the power from the volcanic vineyards the area is also a kind of personal retreat In his whites, Prà’s goal is to translate and preserve the flavors of his fruit at harvest for as long as possible. To that end, in 2010—unhappy with uneven aging and cork taint in some bottles—he began a transition to screwcap closures Prà’s sense of purity is even more striking in his reds—a Valpolicella, a Valpolicella Ripasso, a Ripasso Superiore and an Amarone—all bone dry, bright and relatively lithe from an area whose wines were once defined by heft and residual sweetness. “My reds don’t please everyone,” he says and laughs. “I was trained as a white winemaker. And they are the reds of a white winemaker.” Michael Garner has worked in the wine business for 40 years He is the co-author of\u00a0Barolo: Tar and Roses taught for the WSET for many years and is a regular contributor to Decanter He is also co-owner of Italian Wine Specialists Tria Wines with business partner Paul Merritt His second book:\u00a0Amarone and The Fine Wines of Verona\u00a0was published in 2017 Garner was first a DWWA judge in 2007.\u00a0\u00a0Having judged on the Italian panels at the DWWA for a number of years Michael Garner joined the team of Regional Chairs in 2019 This vibrant denomination in Italy’s Veneto region is going from strength to strength who picks wines to try which showcase the three main styles of this great value white wine These are exciting times for Soave and Veneto: a new generation of winemakers inspired by the groundwork of their fathers is taking the Garganega grape to heights which would have been undreamed of a few decades ago the sadly neglected Trebbiano di Soave (aka Verdicchio in the Marche) is also starting to make a comeback Three main styles of wine are evident today The oak-aged versions fit the blueprint of ‘traditional’ Soave which emerged onto the international stage in the 1960s but they have lost the over-reliance on aromas and flavours of new oak and small barrels which all too easily dominate the delicacy of Garganega and which has dogged the wines in recent times A much clearer understanding of the use of wood (nowadays generally larger and older barrels) gives some of the top cuvées an almost Burgundian richness the fruit-forward and perfumed style of ‘modern’ Soave produced without any wood ageing has made equally impressive progress a third and no less exciting prototype is emerging: a wine which receives extended contact with the fine lees (up to 18 months) usually in either stainless steel or cement (See my top three below for quintessential examples of each.) The variety of styles is also a reflection of the differing soil types of the area The sometimes white limestone and tufa-based terrain to the west (towards Valpolicella) is of marine origin basaltbased soils to the east (around Ronca) are volcanic The two intermingle around the towns of Soave itself and Monteforte d’Alpone at the heart of the Classico area The wines from the former tend to show more floral notes and a crisper acidity while the more volcanic wines have a fleshier style with notes of exotic fruits ‘What really sets today’s Soave apart is a scintillating mineral toned freshness that barely seems to diminish with bottle age’ The defining aromas are generally those of orchard fruit with notes of preserved lemon and mandarin zest But what really sets today’s Soave apart is a scintillating mineral-toned freshness that barely seems to diminish with bottle age and which gives the wine its remarkable elegance and balance Recent vintages have been a mixed bag: 2015 was a warm year and the wines are ripe forward and good for early to mid-term drinking; while 2014 was notoriously wet and cool – rigorous selection was needed and the best examples are nearing full maturity The 2013 wines have a pronounced saline quality and show off this distinctive side of Soave to maximum effect; and the hot dry summer of 2012 led to a crop of very ripe fruit This selection was from tastings of premium examples from across the various denominations which make up the delimited Soave zone: Soave Michael Garner has specialised in Italian wine for more than 30 years. He is a DWWA Regional co-Chair for Italy and an author There are no seatbelts in Roberto Anselmi’s small tinny Fiat Panda 4x4 that he uses to cruise around his steep vineyards in Northern Italy’s Soave region have been rendered inoperable by spare latchplates intentionally jamming the buckles “Don’t worry,” says Anselmi with a mischievous grin as he guns the engine and points the car up a muddy strip of earth between rows of vines—soaked by nearly a week of winter rain He engages the clutch and the car lurches forward wheels spinning like a whisk through cake batter The steering wheel shimmies violently in Anselmi’s grip as he steers his way to the top of volcanic Monte Foscarino The laugh lines appear at the edges of his aviator glasses he has his vineyard workers position a tractor at the bottom of the slippery slope—as a barrier to prevent the car from going over the cliff below if we slide too far What gives you confidence in moments like these is that Anselmi has done this before “You are going to write that Anselmi is crazy,” he says Though Roberto Anselmi is certifiably obsessive Anselmi has earned his reputation as Soave’s rebel with a cause he started out as one of a handful of independent winemakers who coaxed expression and delicious contours out of Soave’s workhorse white grape paving the way for many more quality-focused producers in the area today Anselmi’s grandfather was a grower who sold the family vineyards during World War II built a booming wine négociant business around the family home in Monteforte d’Alpone Anselmi tried to work for his dad: “But I didn’t want to work in an industrial cantina Learning from northern Italian pioneers like Fausto Maculan and Mario Schiopetto Anselmi bought a small vineyard and began bottling his first Soave in 1976 Then he took over his father’s négociant business and closed it—selling off the remaining stock to buy vineyards and focus on estate wines “My father didn’t talk to me for at least 10 years.” Anselmi also learned by travelling to France’s great white wine appellations, starting with Alsace and ending in Sauternes, where he was inspired to make I Capitelli, his version of Soave’s sweet white Recioto traditionally made from grapes desiccated in warm drying rooms Anselmi also became known for his main dry white, the Soave Classico Superiore San Vincenzo blend, along with two Soave hilltop crus—Capitel Foscarino, from the higher-altitude, volcanic soils on Monte Foscarino, and Capitel Croce from a limestone-rich site of the same name. (See scores and tasting notes for Anselmi wines.) Anselmi fought another war—this one against the large cooperatives and bottlers that he believed were ruining Soave’s reputation with overproduction from the valley floor “I am tired of belonging to an appellation which, instead of boosting my image, pulls me down,” Anselmi told Wine Spectator in 2000 after deciding to declassify his wines from the 1999 vintage on and label them with the broader Soave DOC rules today require the still whites to contain at least 70 percent Garganega allowing up to 30 percent of Trebbiano di Soave and/or Chardonnay (The Soave Superiore DOCG caps Chardonnay at 5 percent.) Anselmi already grew Chardonnay and added aromatic Sauvignon Blanc to his San Vincenzo blend He also planted hybrids Goldtraminer and Incrocio Manzoni and has been adding them in small amounts to the blend since 2010 he has planted Riesling in some of his highest vineyards but doesn’t yet know what he will do with it thin and still youthful-looking with his longish gray hair and moustache remains winemaker and patriarch over a staff of a dozen Seeing him interact with his kids and staff You can see the perfectionism in his sprawling highly technical winery that produces 50,000 cases per year He avoids adding sulfites by creating a nearly oxygen-free environment for the wines protecting them with nitrogen from crush to bottling Another example of Anselmi’s stubborn independence: He farms organically, but refuses to apply for certification—despite the urgings of his daughter. “Bureaucracy kills me,” Anselmi bellows, back at his office, where he downs a late-morning coffee. “I am happy to be organic, but I have no interest in someone saying, ‘Yes, he does it—it’s true.’” “But if it would help you sell in certain markets like Sweden and Northern Europe …,” Lisa offers. “If it’s necessary, it’s not my market,” Anselmi protests playfully. “If an inspector comes to certify us, I will jump out the window.”