Italy, Verona

We have long been on the search for a great source of top Valpolicella and so when a recommendation came our way from not just Fabio Alessandria at Burlotto, but also Christoph Kunzli at Le Piane we sat up and took note and we loved what we tasted. Ca' la Bionda was established in the commune of Marano di Valpolicella in 1902 by Pietro Castellani a dedicated grape grower and winemaker. Today the fourth generation of the family run the estate along organic lines (certified since 2016) and have recently refurbished the winery to make use of gravity rather than pumps to move the musts and wine. Vineyards have had traditional Marogne (dry stone walls) re-established to give greater exposure to purely autochthonous varieties (Corvina, Corvinone, Rondinella, Molinara). Ferments are with purely wild yeasts and Suplhur usage is kept to a minimum.