Amarone is undoubtedly one of the true great Italian wines, probably the most important. It has earned its prestigious reputation thanks to the method of transforming and drying its grapes.

The terroir is located in northern Italy near Verona, and more precisely in area of “Classica della ​​Valpolicella” which is made up of five zones (Fumane, Marano di Valpolicella, Negrar, San Pietro in Cariano and Sant’Ambrogio di Valpolicella).  Mario Zuffada, the oenologist who works at the Corte di San Benedetto winery, welcomes us to their winery near Negrar, on a warm and clear October morning. Without hesitation he tells us about every aspect of his work, which he shares with the other oenologist Loris Lavarini. Loris and his brother Angelo have worked tirelessly alongside their parents Mariano and Dina to build up the Corte San Benedetto winery as a family business preserving the quality and traditions which are essential to creating great wines.  Their history dates back to the late 1800s, when the brothers’ grandfather (also named Angelo), started the enterprise, and in the last 25 years they have expanded their vineyards to 20 hectares of this highly sought-after land. Their vineyards spread over hilly and flat areas with vines such as corvina, corvinone, rondinella and molinara, all indispensable grapes for the production of Amarone.

There are many rules for them to follow. One of these includes the wine reaching an alcohol content of at least 14%, so if it rains too much during the most delicate period of the season, the grapes will not have sufficient concentration of sugar and therefore not be able to reach the desired alcohol content. This red wine is nurtured in large Slavonian oak barrels for 4 years, then another year in the bottles, before it reaches the shelves. It improves year after year and if stored well, can still be drank after more than twenty years. However, there is an element in the production of this wine that no textbook or years of winemaking can achieve. This is the warmth and friendliness of the Lavarini family which somehow captures itself in every drop of their wines. When you enter their vineyard, you are greeted with a smile and when you leave you have the reassuring impression that you became part of their extended family who will be back soon with more stories to tell and world experiences to share.