The Valpolicella

The birthplace of the Famiglie Storiche is Valpolicella, an area in the northeast of Italy, in the province of Verona, between Lake Garda and the Monti Lessini. Its unique microclimate, with mild temperatures in both summer and winter, makes it an ideal place to produce wines of the highest quality.

Valpolicella is basically divided into 3 production areas. Moving from west to east, they are Valpolicella Classica, Valpolicella Valpantena and Valpolicella Orientale.

If we concentrate on Amarone, the ideal location for making premium quality wine is on a hillside (it is no coincidence that more than half of the production comes from these vineyards).

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VALPOLICELLA CLASSICA
A more temperate climate, with low day-night differentials. This translates into more fragrant, fruity and floral wines.

VALPOLICELLA VALPANTENA
The intermediate zone, the first valley to the east of Verona. The characteristics of the wines from the Valpantena (whose name, according to the most reliable sources, means Valley of the Gods) also lie between those of the wines from the other two Valpolicella production areas.

VALPOLICELLA ORIENTALE
Characterized by broader valleys, where temperatures drop lower in winter, the wines from here are more intense and tight-textured.

"Hills yield more complex wines, with more personality. The colors of the soil change from one meter to the next. This indicates a change in the micro-elements, which translates into different aromas. A profound knowledge of the local area, experimentation and soil analysis have guided our investments to areas we knew would yield the best product. In our view, zoning is a fundamental starting point for the area’s valorization".
"We have always tried to select the best vineyards and the best grapes to produce high quality Amarone. We have chosen an impervious and hard hill, with many rocks and little soil, where the roots struggle to get in and wine is harder to make. But it is precisely when the land is less generous that the vineyard yields a higher quality product".

The "marogne"

One of the distinguishing characteristics of the entire area, especially in the hills, is the presence of stone walls forming terraces, known as “marogne”. These are a material legacy that lets us understand the extraordinary efforts expended by our progenitors. In fact, in building these terraces, the ancestors of the Famiglie Storiche ensured a double benefit: the grapevines yielded more fruit, because they got more sunlight, and tending the vineyard was less laborious.

Among other distinctions, the Valpolicella area is a candidate for World Heritage list by UNESCO. In recognition of its extraordinary nature, the Famiglie Storiche have taken it upon themselves to do all they can to protect and safeguard the territory, blocking any attempts at invasive urbanization and emphasizing environmental sustainability and respect for the environment.