Storia
The historic site at Marega
Monte dei Ragni stands in Località Marega, a historic contrada dated to 1450. The settlement began as a garrison associated with the nearby Villa della Torre and was subsequently converted into an agricultural holding, a function it retains. Viticulture and winemaking have long-established roots in this foothill zone.
The estate was created on land belonging to the Ragno family. Its name comes from the hill on which it is located: the designation “Monte dei Ragni” appeared for the locality in the historic land register compiled during Austrian rule.
Early twentieth century
Santo Ragno was one of the principal figures in the estate’s development. At the beginning of the twentieth century, he recognized the importance of grapes to the property and progressively oriented the farm more strongly toward viticulture.
During the first decades of the twentieth century, the family supplied its wine directly to two well-known osterie in Verona. In the first half of the century, the holding expanded with the acquisition of land at Mazzurega, immediately to the north. These new fields were planted with vines, cherry trees and olive trees; traces of those improvements remain part of the estate landscape.
Five generations of mixed farming
The Ragno family has directly cultivated the property and vinified its own grapes for five generations. Alongside its vineyards, the farm has continued to grow cherries and olives and to make olive oil. The approximately 6–7 ha of vineyards occupy the ridge between Bure and Mazzurega, interspersed with dry-stone walls, olive trees and cherry trees.
The 1987 freeze and olive-grove renewal
A severe winter freeze in 1987 reduced the previously broader range of olive varieties. Grignano became the predominant olive because it proved the most resistant. The estate subsequently began replacing lost trees gradually and continues to establish around ten olive trees each year, generally propagating its own material by layering.
Present approach
Current vineyard development employs planting densities above 5,000 vines per hectare and native grape varieties. Vineyard work includes close control of bud load during pruning, cultivation of the soil along the vine row, crop thinning and opening the fruit zone to air. In the cellar, the approach is based on soft crushing, gentle pressing, considered use of wood and the near-total avoidance of mechanical pumping, with oenological support from Fabio Bigolin and Umberto Menini.
Terroir
Monte dei Ragni lies in the commune of Fumane on the ridge rising from Bure, at 220 m above sea level, toward Mazzurega, at 430 m. The property is based in Località Marega within this foothill setting.
The approximately 6–7 ha of vineyards have open, full exposure and occupy soils described as having a poor matrix suited to vines. Numerous traditional dry-stone walls, known locally as marogne, divide and structure the slopes. The vineyards are interspersed with rows of olive trees and cherry trees, the latter flowering toward the end of March.
The traditional simple-pergola arrangement is intended to optimize sunlight interception while facilitating vineyard operations.
Vinificazione
Viticulture combines the estate’s traditional simple-pergola system with denser contemporary plantings of more than 5,000 vines per hectare. Plant material is described as native and selected for quality, although individual grape varieties are not identified.
Pruning includes careful regulation of bud load. Subsequent vineyard operations include working the soil along the vine row, thinning the crop and opening the fruit zone so that bunches remain exposed to air. The simple pergola is used to improve sunlight interception and make cultivation work easier.
Vines share the agricultural landscape with olive and cherry trees, while numerous dry-stone marogne preserve the terraced character of the slopes.
Cellar work is based on gentle physical handling. Grapes undergo soft crushing and gentle pressing, followed by a measured use of wood. Mechanical pumping systems are almost entirely excluded from the process. Oenologists Fabio Bigolin and Umberto Menini support this approach.
Filosofia
Monte dei Ragni presents vineyard care and cellar care as a continuous discipline. In the vineyard, that position is expressed through dense native-variety plantings, precise bud-load control, row cultivation, thinning and aeration of the bunches. In the cellar, it takes the form of gentle crushing and pressing, selective use of wood and very limited dependence on mechanical pumping.
The approach combines inherited mixed-farming traditions with practices regarded by the estate as innovative. Five generations of direct family cultivation connect winegrowing with the continued presence of olive trees, cherry trees, dry-stone walls and the agricultural history of Marega.