the estate at colognola ai colli, acquired by the Bertani family in the mid 19th century as the seat of production for its own Soave, is located in an ancient, picturesque village with Neolithic and Roman history, just 14 kilometers east of Verona. The property rests at the opening of the Illasi Valley, half-way between the Valpolicella DOC and the production area for Soave DOC, renamed for its winemaking traditions. More than 20 hectares of vineyards, a good part of which are high density (9500 vines per hectare), surround a splendid farm house from the 16th century. On these lands —ideally suited for viticulture— we produce today the Garganega grapes for our Lepia Soave. The cellars and aging barrels are dedicated to the production of the the Merlot for our Decima Aurea and the Chardonnay for our Torre Pieve.

One of the traditional centers of production for the Bertani Family since its purchase in 1845, the estate at Colognola ai Colli presents a unique history and character. The Pietra Romana, a stone property marker from the Roman era discovered on the site, harkens back to the days of the centurions who once lived there. This venerable stone stood at the crossing of the ancient roads, when the Via Postumia traced a longitudinal axis between Genova and Trieste and passed near the place that is today the town of Colognola ai Colli. To reaffirm the fundamental ties between family and land, the stone has been incorporated into the company logo as a potent symbol of a winemaking philosophy which claims a centuries-old tradition, summarized well by Gaetano Bertani as “Elegance over strength; complexity as an expression of our terroir… because each wine should reflect its territory.”

Taking these ties to the land and its history as a point of departure, Gaetano Bertani, upon inheriting the estate in 1971, chose to plant his vineyards employing advanced high-density vine growing methods, introducing innovative cultivation techniques to produce grapes of great elegance, with potential for complexity, demonstrating once again how excellence may be attained by reinterpreting tradition through means of advanced methodology. Along with hosting the local grapes, the land is primarily cultivated for Merlot and Chardonnay and, to a lesser extent, Cabernet Franc, Sauvignon and Syrah.