Our Winery

The Viviani family have ten hectares of vines in the hamlet of Mazzano, in the historic Valpolicella Classico zone.

The south-south easterly exposure of the family’s vineyards and the high altitude (350 - 450 metres above sea level) at which they are located offer the best conditions possible for the cultivation of vines. In addition, the well-ventilated site and the low humidity favour the drying of the grapes for Recioto and Amarone.

The Viviani family’s aim is to express the full potential of their property, above all by employing viticultural practices which will allow the vines to grow in as natural and harmonious a way as possible, and thereby produce high quality grapes.

This involves the phasing-out of treatments with synthetic products (herbicides, pesticides and fertilizers).

Moreover, extending this philosophy to their wine-ry operations, the Vivianis avail themselves of modern plant and techniques, whilst retaining a healthy respect for the grapes they use as well as for local traditions.

THE TERRITORY OF VALPOLICELLA

The historical Valpolicella, the Classical area, extends to the northwest of Verona as an open hand, whose five fingers form four distinct valleys.

In the valleys the warm breezes coming from Lake Garda meet the fresh air of the Lessini (mountain chain that precedes the Alps and protects the valley to the North), creating splendid microclimate for the cultivation of the vine, cherry and olive. Between autumn and winter, this mild climate also favors the withering that in fruit trees must proceed gradually and continuously to give a Recioto and a wonderful Amarone.

The small valleys are in turn dominated by the most important municipalities. Starting from the east we have Negrar, the municipality that boasts the highest number of prestigious crus, placed at different altitudes and able to offer a very wide spectrum of sensations: Jago, MAZZANO, Torbe, Villa, Pojega, Cerè, Crosara, Moron and Calcarole .

Higher up, near the Lessini mountains, along the northern limit of the area, we find Marano and its valley. The best crus are Gaso, Masua, Gnirega and Fasanara. To the west of Marano we find Fumane which can count on excellent locations such as S. Urbano, Comunai, Creari, Fieramonte, Valata, Carpanè and Palazzo della Torre.

The last valley with the municipality of Sant'Ambrogio, has in Gargagnago and La Grola its most prestigious crus. At the foot of Marano and Fumane we find finally San Pietro in Cariano which occupies the flattest part of the valley and has its best areas in Bure, Castelrotto, Pedemonte and San Floriano.

The land on which the Viviani family cultivates its vineyards can be considered of medium mixture with a good limestone concentration and a consistent presence of stones under the first half meter of land. This, together with the grassing present in all the vineyards, allows an optimal distribution of rainwater and a rapid disposal of excess water.

VINEYARDS AND VINIFICATION

The vineyards are between the ages of 20 and 60, are predominantly grown with the French guyot training system, with a number of buds ranging from six to ten. The best grapes, harvested manually, are stored in special boxes, called plateaux, which contain a maximum of 4 kg of grapes.

These are then deposited in special rooms called fruttai, where, in totally natural conditions, the withering begins (concentration of the components of the grape) which continues, depending on the season, for about 3-4 months. During this period checks are carried out to ensure that everything proceeds in the best direction.

Vinification of Amarone: Once the grapes have reached the right concentration, they are crushed using a press with rubber rollers so that the pressing is as soft as possible. After this operation, the crushed grapes enter the fermentation vats, where the maceration begins.

The fermentation usually begins after a few weeks.

The maceration then lasts for about forty days during which the necessary repassing and punching down is carried out. When the maceration is over, the Amarone is removed, which is still quite sweet, after a few days of standing in containers of vitrified cement (a period necessary for the wine to deposit the coarser parts) the wine immediately enters wood.

The wooden barrels are of great importance for the refinement of our wines. We only use french oak barrels, with various sizes. After the necessary period of aging, the wine is ready for the bottle.

The revision technique

Vinification of the Valpolicella Classico Superiore with the Ripasso Technique.

From the vineyards where the Amarone grapes have not been selected, the grapes that will give the Valpolicella will be harvested, always manually, which will be "passed over" onto the pomace of the Amarone.

The wine thus obtained remains, still in the cement containers, until the amarone has been discharged (therefore at the end of March, beginning of April).

At this point the Valpolicella obtained in October is passed on the still moist (and still rather sweet) marc of Amarone. In this way we obtain a more structured, full-bodied Valpolicella that preserves in the aromas and in the mouth the flavor of the drying and the drinkability of Valpolicella.

After the review (which usually lasts a few days) the Valpolicella Ripasso Classico Superiore will start its maturation in wood for the time requested.

Vinification of the classic Valpolicella: The Valpolicella Classico is the most immediate and drinkable of our wines, without wanting to renounce the pleasure that a wine of every day must have.

It was therefore decided to propose a 13-degree Valpolicella Classico alcohol that goes into the bottle after having completed the mallolactic fermentation. We thus obtain a soft wine that is well suited to everyday cooking.