Questo vino
Vineyard and terroir
The grapes come from the company's own vineyards in Veneto. They are carefully selected and grow on the sunniest, most open sites.
Vinification
After harvest the grapes are taken to the winery and dried by the appassimento method in well-ventilated rooms for 80–100 days. Vinification takes place in temperature-controlled stainless-steel tanks.
The producer's general note on its prestigious wines (Recioto, Montegradella and Amarone) gives a drying period of 120 days, with a loss of 30% of the water content, yielding a juice with a high sugar content. This differs from the 80–100 days given for this wine.
Ageing
The wine is aged for 12–18 months in large Slavonian oak casks of 15 and 50 hl. After bottling it rests a further six months in the winery's cellars. The reds mature slowly in centuries-old vaulted cellars.
Label / history
Santa Sofia is housed in a 16th-century villa designed by Andrea Palladio, which has become a symbol of the estate. The Begnoni family has owned the cellars since 1960 and works with growers of the region. Giancarlo Begnoni runs the estate with his son Luciano and daughter Patrizia.
