The soul of Lugana
and the Heart of Valpolicella.
95 hectares of top vineyards in Lugana and Valpolicella’s “classic zone.” Two faces: One white, the other red, both emblems of high-quality wines that are born through a visceral passion for the land, through respect for time, through a family tradition that has championed local grape varieties for more than 60 years.
1960 – San Benedetto di Lugana. It’s here that the heart of Sergio Zenato started to beat. His story is made of passion and hard work; a deep connection to his land and his people; entrepreneurial ability and openness to innovation and new vinification techniques and investment in native grape varieties.
A story that stretches from the banks of Lake Garda to the hills of nearby Valpolicella where the estate’s reds are born from sunny vineyards of Corvina and Rondinella in Costalunga in Sant’Ambrogio commune.
A family story.
The story of Zenato is the story of a family that firmly planted its roots in the land. It was made possible thanks to the passion and entrepreneurial vision of the estate’s founder, Sergio, who managed to fulfill his greatest dream: to create a winery capable of harvesting the fruits of the earth and transform them into emotions with matchless flavor.
Today, more than 60 years later, the results are testament to his extraordinary vision. A wonderful story took shape thanks to his vision and today its star is his family: Wife Carla and children Alberto and Nadia.
Their eyes and their heart continue down the path that Sergio laid out with great clarity as he steadied the course toward quality and love for their land. Over time, that land wasn’t just Lugana but also Valpolicella, with its celebrated red wines and their matchless aromas.
Saddled between Lombardy and Veneto, one of the most original viticultural areas in all of Europe sits between the communes of Sirmione and Peschiera. A unique climate, tempered by the body of water known in antiquity as Lake Benacus. A breathtaking landscape, made even more special by the amphitheater of hills formed thousands of years ago by glacial moraines. These origins are the secret behind the appellation’s deep-reaching, humid clay soils and abundant minerals. These soils make the land there ideal for grape growing and in particular for Trebbiano di Lugana vines. This is where Santa Cristina wines are born. Wines with character and an authentic expression of Lugana’s distinctive terroir.
According to legend, there was once a woman so proud that everyone called her Sansonina, “little Samson,” after the character in the Bible. Three centuries ago, she was the owner of this enchanting place. Today, it’s home to 13 hectares planted to vine near Sirmione. It produces wines with distinctive character, including white wines Lugana and the experimental Lugana “Spontaneous Fermentation,” and top reds Merlot Sansonina and Evaluna.
A magical place, a world unto itself, capable of inspiring emotion and creating unique memories. This is Bolgheri, a jewel nestled in the Tuscan hills: An expression of the soul, a dimension suspended between, sound, aroma, texture, and colors that flow together in a breathtaking work of art. The blue of the Tuscan sea is dazzling. The blue of its sky is like a caress. Its green hills are like a warm hug. Enchanted by Tuscany’s magic, Carla purchased a small farm there in 2003: 3.8 hectares along the Via Bolgherese — the Bolgheri wine trail — in the heart of the appellation. Here, shaded by Bolgheri’s picturesque cypress trees, olive groves alternate with vineyards planted to Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot. Their fruit is used to make the Zenato family’s personal interpretation of Bolgheri DOC.
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Zenato Azienda Vitivinicola S.r.l.
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