The Santa Sofia winery is one of the oldest in the Valpolicella region and is located in one of the smallest municipalities in the Vicenza area, in Pedemonte, a part of San Pietro di Cariano. Its history is strongly intertwined with culture and architecture, since Villa Santa Sofia, where the winery is located, was designed by the famous Paduan architect Andrea Palladio in the second half of the 16th century. The cellars date back to three different eras: the large Slavonian barrels in which Amarone, Valpolicella Superiore and Ripasso are aged are housed in rooms dating back to the 1300s, the adjacent, newer rooms house the steel tanks for the younger, fresher labels, while the Allier oak barriques under the Villa are used to age the Amarone Reserves and Recioto.

The red wines of Santa Sofia have great structure and personality, and are the result of the experience of the Begnoni family, in particular the two people who run the winery: Giancarlo and Luciano, respectively winemaker and owner, as well as being father and son. The Corvina, Corvinella and Rondinone grapes grow on stony, medium-textured soils and undergo lengthy ageing both in barrels and in bottles. In particular, the grapes for Recioto and Amarone are left to dry for about 100 days in air-conditioned rooms, in order to obtain the characteristic structure and softness typical of these wines.

Santa Sofia is a winery spread over 53 hectares in the region's most representative municipalities, and the Begnoni family has implemented a gradual process of renewal, both technically and in terms of vineyard management. It has moved from a production that ranged across all the Veronese denominations towards a clearer, more precise product that stands out for its density and sensory elegance. The winery's objective of producing, selecting and distributing labels to both national and international customers is becoming increasingly clear, focusing increasingly on territorial expressiveness and the typicality of the beautiful and fascinating area of Valpolicella Classica.

Amarone 'Gioé' Santa Sofia 2016

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