Drying Room
The appassimento is the traditional technique that distinguishes Valpolicella and its wines from all other Italian wine-growing areas. It is a natural process that dehydrates the grapes and concentrating the sugar, aromas and colour. It is a technique that is used for the production of sweet wines, such as Recioto della Valpolicella, or dry ones, such as Amarone della Valpolicella. To be dried, the bunches must be perfectly intact and have berries well separated from each other, so that the air can pass through and carry away all the humidity. Our drying room uses the wind currents that blow along our valley, channeling the air inside. In doing so, the air withers the grapes avoiding the use of forced dehumidification systems.
Architecture
Ours is the first generation of winemakers, and this has allowed us to be totally free from existing concepts or constraints. In fact, as we arrived in Negrar di Valpolicella, we let our ideas and ideals take the helm, creating the spaces of the company so that they were functional for the production of our wines, limiting as much as possible the impact that these would have had on the surrounding environment. The architecture of the cellar combines together the tradition of the valley with the lively hues of ruby and light blue, so that it mashes up coherence and integration with the surrounding landscape with the modern style that characterizes our wines.
Solar panels and Insulation
In addition to the impact on the landscape, the environmental print was also one of the key elements taken into consideration in creating the cellar. The cellar and the ageing room are entirely surrounded by two insulated walls and separated from each other by a corridor, which acts as a further insulating cavity. This allows us to minimize the energy required to maintain the temperature and humidity of the working areas. Furthermore, we are committed to further reducing the environmental impact by designing a photovoltaic system that will drastically reduce the energy purchased, using almost exclusively solar energy.
In the cellar, our investments are aimed at the purchase and maintenance of machinery and equipment with high standards in technique and technology. We are convinced that in order to obtain quality products, it is essential that everything that comes into contact with wine must be produced with the same care. The wood used for our barrels is PEFC and FSC certified, and are purchased from artisans who combine their wisdom with respect for nature. The corks we buy are top quality and come from forests managed with awareness and respect. Finally, even the bottles used have been lightened over the years, to reduce the CO2 footprint caused by transport.