Founding Members

The Allegrini family has had a central role in the agriculture of the Valpolicella for many generations. A document from the year 1557 demonstrates that a certain Allegrino Allegrini had obtained the right to utilize the water of certain “fountains”, or underground springs, in Mazzurega, a part of the township of Fumane, in order to irrigate his lands, an indication that the family was already present in the area in the 16th century. And already in a pre-eminent position given that various legal acts and transcriptions between 1616 and 1630 show the Allegrini to be among the major landed proprietors of the zone. The head of the current generation, Giovanni Allegrini, therefore inherited an important agricultural tradition, but he was able to reinvigorate this tradition, becoming one of the fathers of the oenological history of his area. After the Second World War he was among the first to question the traditional viticultural practices of the Valpolicella, fearlessly overturning settled habits and customs in order to aim for high quality wines. He knew his way around the cellars as well: his father had began training him in the secrets of fermentating and aging of wine when he was twelve years old, and he had begun to learn at an early age.They called him “the spider of the casks”, because, when entertaining clients and offering them wine to taste, he leapt from large barrel to another in order to draw out one sample after another. Intelligence and passion allowed him to produce, in the 1960’s and 1970’s, some of the finest wines of his zone. His final project, which he did not live to see completely realized, was to replant the vineyard of the most famous and prestigious property of the Valpolicella, the Grola, a hill which had been abandoned in the early 1900’s: he brought it back to active and productive life and made it possible to cultivate it with the tractors which were newly available. His children followed him in his work: initially the first-born, Walter, who died prematurely in 2003, then his daughter Marilisa and son Franco, in charge, respectively, of marketing and winemaking. The vineyards are all in the classic part of the Valpolicella appellation: 175 acres which belong to the family and another 50 which are leased. With an annual production of 900,000 bottles, the estate has had an important role in establishing the concept of the cru, of vineyards with superior quality potential: two important expressions of the concept are La Grola and Palazzo della Torre, true and outstanding ambassadors of the territory in the markets of the world. An equally prestigious part of the line are the innovative Amarone and La Poja, a 100% Corvina wine from the grapes of a single vineyard which expresses all of the character of the variety. The Allegrini have succeeded in creating four aces to put on the table.

The choice of the name Argiolas for the winery and the firm was by no means a random one: this has always been a family-run operation ever since its foundation at Serdiana near Cagliari by Francesco Argiolas in the early years of the 20th century. Oral tradition has it that a certain number of vineyards were planted during the First World War by Polish and Austrian prisoners of war. The firm was given a legal structure and entrepreneurial dynamism in 1938 by Antonio Argiolas, son of Francesco, quite active in extending the marketing of wines such as Monica, Nuragus, and Cannonau, previously confined to Sardinia, first to Tuscany, Latium, and the Veneto and then to France and Germany. Wines of good quality, but sold in bulk, not in bottle, as was the case of almost all of Sardinia’s wine at the time, though these were often anonymous in terms of character and personality as well. And during the deep commercial crisis which bulk wine went through in the 1980’s, many cultivators on the island accepted EEC contributions to uproot their vineyards and cease activity altogether. Antonio Argiolas, convinced that quality sooner or later would reveal itself to be a winning choice, refused this solution to the problem, even though it would have been an extremely lucrative one for him, significant capital easily gained. The decisive move came with the arrival of his sons, Franco and Giuseppe, who took over operations in 1989 and transformed production into bottled, not bulk, wine. A decisive event was the collaboration with consulting winemaker Giacomo Tachis, the father of modern Italian oenology, who has inspired the work of house enologist Mariano Murru, his pupil. It was with the assistance of Tachis that the Argiolas brothers transformed their vineyards and experimented new methods in the cellar, the first steps on a journey which has witnessed the success of these wines in all of the markets of the world. If success can be measured with figures, those of Argiolas are imposing ones: 575 acres of vineyards in four different locations, Serdiana, Selegas, Siurgus Donigala, and Porto Pino, ten different wines in the line, and an annual production of some two million bottles: wines which have made the name of Sardinia in the world. The top wine, Turriga, an IGT Isola dei Nuraghi, is a rich blend of various local varieties, Cannonau, Carignano, Bovale Sardo, and Malvasia Nera and has entered into the exclusive club of the internationally famous. Equally important for the name of the firm have been the dry white wine Is Argiolas, a Vermentino of depth and dimension, and the sweet Angialis, a blend in which a small percentage of Malvasia amplifies and further enriches the aromas of Sardinia’s Nasco.

The Castello di Brolio is one of the symbol of Tuscany, virtually a sacred spot in Chianti Classico. Here, many years ago, Bettino Ricasoli, the “Iron Baron”, created and perfected the classic formula for Chianti Classico which laid the ground for one of the great and long-lasting international successes in the world of wine. The castle itself, situated in one of the loveliest, and wildest, spots in Tuscany, is surrounded by vineyards and woods. Over the course of centuries, it has had an eventful history. Some years ago, it was sold to an international corporation but, moved by pride in his family and its history, Francesco Ricasoli, the thirty second Baron of Brolio, decided to repurchase it for his family and restore it to the splendour of former times. With a grandiose effort of renewal of the vineyards, tens and tens of acres were replanted with rational, high density and low-yielding training systems. At the same time the cellars were modernized and amplified to hold the equipment, the casks, and the barrels where the wines of Brolio are given a lengthy period of aging. Ricasoli is one of those enlightened producers in Chianti Classico who continues to sustain the idea of château wine, i.e. by production strongly characterized by a property with a precise terroir, a concept modelled after Bordeaux but with a Tuscan accent and approach. For this reason, in addition to the Brolio Chianti Classico, the regular bottling, the wine which best embodies the personality of the estate and its territory is the Castello di Brolio, a wine which surprises with its ample aromas and flavors, but above all with its softness and elegance. The Riserva Rocca Guicciarda, a Chianti Classico, is a wine of great character, impressive in its concentration and richness of flavor. And Casalferro certainly deserves a special mention: a very successful blend of the native Sangiovese and international grape varieties, a wine which marries local and international flavors, a “glocal” wine, in short.

The Bertani firm was founded in 1857 at Quinto di Valpantena in the province of Verona by brothers Giovanbattista and Giovanni Bertani. Giovanbattista had the opportunity of meeting, in France, Jules Guyot, philosopher and scientist, the inventor of the world’s most widely used pruning system. It was an encounter of enormous importance, which inspired in Bertani a new understanding of the concept of terroir and drove him to adopt the most advanced production techniques of the time in order to maximize the character of his wine. The house gained its maximum glory in the years following World War II under the guidance of the second generation of the family, represented by Guglielmo Bertani and his brother, Giovanbattista junior. The brothers expanded their activity beyond the confines of the Valpantena to all of the major areas around Verona: to the northwest in the Bardolino zone, in the northeastern part of Soave Classico, where, in 1928, fermentation cellars were created in Monteforte d’Alpone, and in the classic portion of Valpolicella where, in 1957, the Novaia estate at Arbizzano di Negrar was purchased. This is the largest property of the territory with over 560 overall acres of land and some 150 acres of vineyards and with the Grezzana cellars, the heart and current headquarters of the house and one of the loveliest architectural monuments of the zone, an imposing villa erected in 1700 by Count Luigi Trezza. The firm, still property of the family, can currently boast of over 325 acres of vineyards in all of the major appellations of the province of Verona. The firm, however, is indissolubly linked to the name of Amarone: the pride of the house is the Amarone della Valpolicella Classico, an outstanding blend of Corvina, Rondinella, and Molinara and a part of the history of Italian oenology. The reknown of the wine is the result of its unusual character: the annual production of 80,000 bottles is the only Amarone to be marketed nine or ten years after the vintage and after a period of cask aging which lasts eight years. Unfortunately, in recent years it has gone on sale after a briefer aging period. But only because Bertani, a true exception in the zone, did not produce the wine in two vintages judged to be of inferior level, 1991 and 1992 and was forced to anticipate the release of subsequent vintages in order to hold its place on the market. Bertani makes only one type of Amarone. For what reason? The thesis of the firm is that a true Amarone della Valpolicella must be an expression of the entire territory, must be built on the three valleys which give wines of different character and personality, to be blended together into a cuvée which reassumes and reveals the complexity of the entire production zone.

Ca’ del Bosco, a pioneering vintner and winemaker since the early 1970s, is one of today’s leading
producers of Franciacorta wines.
The fascinating story of Ca’ del Bosco goes back to the mid-sixties, when Annamaria Clementi
Zanella bought a small house on a hill in Erbusco, Franciacorta, locally called “ca’ del bosc”,
surrounded by a thick forest of chestnut trees.
In 1968, the idea of planting a vineyard took shape and Maurizio Zanella, Annamaria’s son and
current President of Ca’ del Bosco, became the protagonist of an avant-garde winemaking itinerary.
Ca’ del Bosco has given shape to the vocation of a wine-growing area – Franciacorta – as a region
that allows Chardonnay, in particular, to ripen fully to maximum aroma concentration.
Ca’ del Bosco’s winemaking practices enable a natural emergence of the typicity of the grapes
resulting from varietals and grape growing techniques. The company’s philosophy is based on use of
technology able to bring out the full flavor of the grapes and obtain the best possible wines. Each
batch of harvested grapes has a unique personality, which must be recognized and then guided
towards its complete expression.
The aim has always been to create a facility where the most advanced technology serves the noblest
traditions, one with its own elitist image and a significant role to play in the Italian wine industry.
At Ca’ del Bosco, one principle controls and defines the entire production process, from vinetending
to bottling: quality, or rather, only the top level of quality – excellence.

Col d’Orcia is one of the few properties in Montalcino which can call itself “historic”. Decades ago, in 1933, the estate was able to present three lengthily-aged Brunello wines at the first Italian wine fair held at Siena. Since 1973 it has belonged to the Piedmontese family headed by Count Francesco Marone Cinzano, assisted by Edoardo Virano, administrator and director.
The property, with 250 acres of vineyard surface, is on the southern slopes of Montalcino, the sunniest part of the appellation which lies between the hamlet of Sant’Angelo in Colle and the Orcia river. The vineyards have been almost entirely replanted in recent years with the assistance of the University of Florence in the clonal selection. The fermentation practices are traditional which modern research has confirmed to be ideal for the production of Brunello di Montalcino: lengthy periods of skin contact with the must, at least 25 days in order to favour the complete extraction of the polyphenols, and a long period of aging in small oak casks, three years for the regular bottling, four years for the Riserva selections. The Rosso di Montalcino and the regular Brunello di Montalcino are very interesting wines.
The crown jewel is the Brunello Poggio al Vento Riserva, made from the vineyard of same name planted in 1973, released only in the finest vintages, and a true milestone: imposing, solid, complex, but of great finesse with elegant tannins and an impressive longevity. Among the other wines in the range Olmaia, a Cabernet, is worth mentioning, as it demonstrates that Montalcino has a real talent for the production of wines from international varieties and can present very high level wines from these grapes. Another very valid wine is Nearco, a blend of Merlot, Syrah, and Cabernet, intense and spicy. Last but not least is the pleasurable, seductive Moscadello di Montalcino, a sweet wine for the end of a meal.

Castellare di Castellina is a 225 acres estate in the heart of Chianti Classico at Castellina in Chianti, created in 1968 by the fusion of five different small farms. In 1979 it was purchased by Paolo Panerai, editor in chief and publisher who, over the years, has turned it into one of most prominent estates of Chianti Classico. Vineyard acreage is 75 acres, 60 of which in a natural amphitheater of hills with a south-western exposure; annual production is approximately 240,000 bottles between DOCG and IGT wines. Red wines dominate, but there are three white wines as well, structured, intense, and long-lived. Yields per acre, particularly for the red wines, are below those permitted by appellation rules. Vine research, carried out immediately after purchase, enabled the estate to select the finest clones of Sangioveto, the local version of Sangiovese, and of Malvasia Nera. These are the varieties which give maximum quality and character, particularly in the case of I Sodi di San Niccolò, a wine included in the Wine Spectator list of the world’s 100 best wines two years in a row and with a raiting of 97/100 by Parker. The word “sodi” was used by Tuscan peasants to describe vineyards which needed to be worked by hand due to the hardness, or solidity, of the soil and the steepness of the slopes.
I Sodi di San Niccolò, a selection of the two finest vineyards (or crus) of the estate, demonstrates that the native varieties of the zone are perfectly capable of giving high-level wines, without the use of international grapes in the blend. Castellare (now known as Domini Castellare di Castellina, as there are now four domaines) has promoted the joint-venture with Domain Baron de Rothschild-Lafite created in 2000, Rocca di Frassinello. The first wines from the cellars, designed by famed architect Renzo Piano, were from the 2004 vintage and were produced under the supervision of oenologists Alessandro Cellai and Christian Le Sommer. The wines from the 2005 vintage have already received widespread recognition and maximum scores. The second label, Le Sughere di Frassinello, is included in the Top 100 of Wine Spectator.

Is destiny written in a name? Improbable, it would seem, but it is a fact that the Ferrari firm of Trento, just like the racing car team of Maranello, is, in its sector, that of sparkling wine, the best known and most prestigious. And, just like the automobile company, the sparkling wine house bears the name of its founder, but is not run by his descendants. Because, like Enzo Ferrari, Giulio Ferrari, a native and nobleman of the Trentino region, who studied viticulture at Montpellier and completed his studies in Champagne, returning to his native region in 1902 to create a sparkling wine firm, had no heirs. For this reason, in 1951, at seventy years of age, he decided to sell his company to Bruno Lunelli who, after having worked as a shop assistant for the parents of Cesare Battisti, an Italian patriot hung by the Austrians, had opened a wine shop just a few doors away, near the cathedral of Trento. Ferrari, nonetheless, continued to be active in the firm until 1965, the year of his death. Bruno Lunelli, who at the time had only 63, left the reins of the company to his children four years later, perhaps with a presentiment of the premature death which would arrive four years later. But two years previously he had the satisfaction of inaugurating the company’s new headquarters at the gates of Trento, near the Ponte di Ravina bridge.
Ferrari’s supremacy in the production of high quality sparkling wine was gained through the efforts of three of his five children: Gino, the president of the company, Franco, who ran the wine shop near the cathedral, and Mauro, the oenologist, who perfected, in 1972, the legendary Riserva del Fondatore, the classic blanc de blancs of Giulio Ferrari, an all-Chardonnay cuvée from a single vineyard at Maso Pianizza, a true cru which, for soil and micro-climate, can be considered a masterpiece of nature. Made solely from grapes which are perfectly ripe, it is produced only in fine vintages with a period of aging on its lees which can last up to ten years. The object of tireless care and attention, it is an elegant Spumante, delicate, and exceptionally long-lived. It is the peak of a production pyramid of 4.8 million bottles annually, and this is the core business of a small empire which also owns a series of agricultural estates which produce still wines, the Surgiva mineral water, and the grappa distillery Segnana. The third generation of the Lunelli family is now in charge, and consists of three cousins: Matteo, vice-president; Marcello, oenologist; and Camilla, who directs contacts with the public and with the clientele. She is the first woman to arrive in an executive position in the firm.

With Piernicola de Castris we are in the presence of the fifth generation of a dynasty of wine producers active in the Salento peninsula for three centuries. It was 1665 when one of his ancestors, Duke Oronzo Arcangelo Maria Francesco, Count of Lemos and nephew of Francesco and Ferrante, both Spanish viceroys in Italy, founded a cellar at Salice Salento. With such satisfying results that they were convinced to sell their possessions in Spain in order to invest the sums in the Apulia, creating a small empire of 12,500 acres of land. The two thousand square meter cellar built at the time, the XVII century, has become, today, an enormous white and pink parallelepiped of 40,000 square meters with various buildings and a squared-off edifice which towers over the entire complex. At Salice thy call it “the company of Don Pierino”. Don Pierino was the grandfather of Piernicola, Piero Leone Plantera, who married Donna Lisetta of the de Castris counts, the last heiress of the cellars. Don Pierino greatly influenced the entire story of the firm from 1900 to the 1960’s. It was he who transformed it into a modern company: he had already begun to market the wine in bottles in 1925, in a period when, even in northern Italy, wine was still sold in bulk, in barrels or in demijohns. Five Roses, his best known wine, was the first rosé to be sold in bottle in all of Italy. But this came later, the final year of World War II, when northern Italy was still under Nazi occupation. General Charles Poletti, supply commissioner for the allied armies, had ordered a large supply of rosé wine, but he wanted an American name. And so Five Roses was born, named for an area called Cinque Rose (“five roses”) of the fiefdom of Salice because, for several generations, every de Castris had five daughters. After a period as sales director begun at the request of his father, Piernicola became general director at the end of the 1990’s. He managed to inject a new dynamism into the firm, renovating the cellars and replanting the vineyards, experimenting new grape varieties even if he continued to give the greatest emphasis to the traditional grapes of the zone. The most satisfying wines are made, in fact, from Negroamaro, the typical grape of the Salento peninsula, the basis of the blend of Donna Lisa, the Salice Salentino Riserva wine of the house, which has received much recognition and many prizes: an important red wine with aromas of cherries ad notes of tobacco, soft and velvety, a great expression of the potential of the peninsula.

The Lungarotti cellars were founded at Torgiano in 1962 just a few kilometers from Perugia and Assisi in Umbria, and from that moment on it became a reference point for the oenology of the entire region. Giorgio Lungarotti, who had created the firm to ferment the grapes of the various landed possessions of his family, has been defined as “the man who, after Saint Francis, has given Umbria the greatest visibility in the world”. His wife, Maria Grazia, remembers him as “a pioneer”. Overstated? Perhaps, but Giorgio Lungarotti, who died in 1999, was the first to create fine wine in a region which, up till then, had little to show in terms of quality wine. To give them a certain recognition all over the world, exporting half of his production. And up until his last days, 88 years old, he was still more foresighted than others when wine was discussed. After his death, the direction of the house has passed into the hands of his daughter Chiara, aided by her sister Teresa Severini, while Maria Grazia directs the work of the Lungarotti Foundation, well known for its work in spreading the culture of wine. The house, in fact, has created at Torgiano one of the world’s most important museums around the theme of wine, compiling an historic and artistic documentation with few equals. The family continues to direct the firm, working with a full respect for values which join tradition and history to territory and adds in an innovative spirit open to experimentation and new developments. Future-oriented, the firm is nonetheless firmly anchored in the present, and a few years ago acquired an estate at Montefalco in order to include Sagrantino in its wide range of wines. The most prestigious Lungarotti wines, however, are the lengthily-aged red wines (only marketed four or five years after the harvest) from two crus: the Rubesco Vigna Monticchio Riserva, a blend of Sangiovese and Canaiolo, and San Giorgio, which uses Caberent Sauvignon along with the regions native grapes. This was the first Super Umbrian of the region: first produced in 1977, it is released only in superior vintages.