History
Foundation in Illasi
Cantina Santi was founded in 1843 in Illasi, a historic village at the eastern edge of the province of Verona, close to the Monti Lessini. From its beginnings, the winery’s identity has been associated with Valpolicella.
Technical personnel
In 1998, Cristian Ridolfi joined Gruppo Italiano Vini at Cantina Santi in Illasi. He subsequently worked at other wineries in the Verona area between 2000 and 2016.
Maricarmen Navas joined Gruppo Italiano Vini for the 2004 harvest and oversaw winemaking at Cantina Santi. In 2005 she also became involved in the oenological renewal of the Melini winery; in 2009 she moved to the winemaking staff at Bolla in Pedemonte.
In March 2016, Ridolfi returned to Gruppo Italiano Vini as director of Cantina Santi. His work focused on the continuing qualitative development of wines from the territory. In 2025, he was appointed head of technical and oenological coordination for all Gruppo Italiano Vini wineries. From March 2026, he became director of Bolla in Pedemonte.
Production investment
Under the Veneto Rural Development Programme 2014–2020, Cantina Santi acquired and installed new tanks, vinification vessels and fermentation tanks. The investment was designed to increase production volumes and expanded the capacity of the Santi and Lamberti facilities. The combined financing allocated to the two-winery project was €199,605.16; the programme also linked the additional capacity to benefits for supplying growers.
Terroir
Cantina Santi is based in Illasi, a historic settlement at the eastern edge of the province of Verona. The village lies close to the Monti Lessini, and the winery’s identity is tied to Valpolicella.
Winemaking
Cantina Santi’s production facilities were expanded through the acquisition and installation of new storage tanks, vinification vessels and fermentation tanks. The investment was intended to increase production volumes and resulted in greater capacity at the Santi facility. It formed part of a joint Santi–Lamberti project financed for a combined €199,605.16 under the Veneto Rural Development Programme 2014–2020.