Le Vigne di San Pietro is not just an enterprise: it is the realisation of a dream shared by two people with a deep-rooted love of nature. Those two people are my parents, Sergio and Franca.
In 1980 their search for the ideal growing area brought them to Le Vigne di San Pietro (The Vines of St Peter), a unique holding on the morainic hills of San Pietro at Sommacampagna, between Verona and Lake Garda.
An "island" just a stone's throw from the town, immersed in the rolling hills of the Summa Campania, caressed by cool breezes wafting up from the lake.
In the quest to enhance the quality of their own lives they were determined to make the most of what nature - and the generous grapes of the morainic earth - had to offer.
The outcome was a quality - evident right from the first harvest back in 1981 - that provided the basis for a successful market launch and offered the public a wine bursting with personality as opposed to the more fashionable "technicality".
Today the company, which has since expanded to about ten hectares, is run by myself and my wife, Regina, who, being Brazilian, has contributed with an approach that is both refreshing and upbeat.
In 2000, close collaboration with friend and enologist Federico Giotto began: this partnership soon resulted in improved quality but without affecting our wine-making style or our territory.
The maturity and elegance of the Custoza has been further refined to produce the Sanpietro.
I Balconi Rossi offer a new, unique balance between Corvina, Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot, while the RefolĂ has become even smoother and deeper.
Duecuori is the sweet memory of a project conceived by my father and mother and is dedicated to them.
CorDeRosa, a rose-scented rosé of pure Corvina, with its finely-tuned acidity and body, is dedicated to my wife, Regina.
Sommacampagna is located in the Veneto, in the province of Verona, south-east of Lake Garda and west of Verona.
It marks the eastern boundary of the semi-circular range of morainic hills that were formed as the glaciers retreated some 30,000 years ago.
Nearby, Lake Garda exerts a positive influence on the local microclimate by generating the winds that keep the vines dry, especially on the gently sloping hillsides.
Our vineyards are planted on two moraines, on the hill named San Pietro, close to the town centre of Sommacampagna, and on the one named I Balconi Rossi, between Sommacampagna and Custoza.
The moraines are a clayey limestone with a ph of 7.9-8.2.
The vineyards have been replanted with higher-quality clones having a rootstock of low vegetative growth. The layout pattern is 200 x 70 cm, with 6,600 plants per hectare.
Pruning, both winter and summer, is done manually, as is grape harvesting and selection.
The white grape varieties include Garganega, Cortese, Trebbiano, Tocai, Riesling and Moscato Giallo.
The red grape varieties are Corvina, Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot.