Bertani Domains
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Old vintages on storage shelves at Bertani winery in Grezzana
- Contact: Emilio Pedron, CEO
- Where: Grezzana (see map below)
- Website: www.bertani.net
- N. bottles produced / year: 2,000,000
- Vineyards: 200 ha (494 acres)
- Farming: conventional and sustainable
- Rooms or B&B: no
Story
Somebody claims that Bertani is the historical memory of Valpolicella and maybe it's true: only this winery has really old vintages of Amarone still for sale. Founded in 1857 by two brothers, Giovan Battista and Gaetano Bertani, this wine company was among the first companies in Italy to understand the value of bottled wine and, by the end of 19th century, it started to export their wine in many cities of USA. Recently (2014, January), the branch of Tenimenti Angelini - which includes viticulture and agricultural activities in Tuscany and Marche regions - has been incorporated into the Cav. G.B. Bertani, which modified its company name in Bertani Domains, maintaining its headquarters at Grezzana.
People
The vineyards are managed by grape growers who know them and run them for generations, together the expert agronomist of the wine company; a winemaker, Cristian Ridolfi, is in charge of the whole process in the cellar, whilst the COO is Andrea Lonardi.
Vineyards
Bertani Domains owns 200 ha (494 acres) spread across the main productive areas in Verona. Valpolicella, Soave, Lake of Garda. Particularly, in Valpolicella owns (in Villa Novare Estate) 65 ha. Here there are at least two different types of soil: marly-calcareous, and basaltic, both of which date back to the mid Eocene. The vines are in average 15 years old, the altitude is min 100-max 400m. The grapes are the classic Corvina, Corvinone, Rondinella, Oseleta and other native minor grapes.
Winemaking
The fermentation occurs in different types of tanks, depending on the type of the wine (red, white) and on its origin (from the Classic area of Valpolicella, or Valpantena). So they can be glazed cement tanks, or wooden vats , or even steel tanks wider and lower than usual. In this latest case, by reducing the amount of mechanical handling of the must and the skins of the grapes, the tanks keep intact the organoleptic characters of the wines.
- Grape selection table: yes
- Fluids processed by gravity: no
- Drying process: in house
- Type of drying process: only fans and windows for "traditional" Amarone and Recioto, other plant with thermal and humidity control
- Bottling: in the winery
Wines
Due to its two different properties in Valpolicella and Valpantena, Bertani Domains produces two different lines of Valpolicella wines: "Villa Novare" and "Villa Arvedi"
- Valpolicella Classico DOC "Villa Novare"
- Valpolicella Classico Superiore DOC "Vigneto Ognisanti"
- Valpolicella Classico Superiore Ripasso DOC "Villa Novare"
- Amarone della Valpolicella Classico DOCG
- Recioto della Valpolicella Valpantena DOCG
- Valpolicella Valpantena Ripasso DOC "Secco Bertani"
- Amarone della Valpolicella Valpantena DOCG "Villa Arvedi"
The wines are made exclusively with the grapes of their own vineyards, harvested manually and fermented with commercial yeasts. The aging process of the most important wines, like Amarone della Valpolicella or Recioto della Valpolicella (in big Slavonian oak barrels o in cherry casks), is usually longer than other wineries.
- Stock of old vintages: yes
- Selling of old vintages: ye
Export
Italy and everywhere in the world.
The wines we reviewed
The wines
- Valpolicella Classico Superiore DOC "Vigneto Ognisanti" 2012
- Amarone della Valpolicella Classico DOC 2006
- Amarone della Valpolicella Classico Doc 1981
will be at the Terroir Amarone "Rare and Unusual Masterclass: Amarone and Valpolicella Superiore" - Montreux, Switzerland Hotel Suisse Majestic October 30, 2014, hosted by the Digital Wine Communications Conference.