Torre d'Orti

The historic hill of Torre d’Orti

For centuries, the name Torre d’Orti identified a specific part of the hill above the village of Marcellise on maps of San Martino Buonalbergo. The ridge offered a commanding view and was selected by the lords associated with the nearby Castello di Montorio as the site of a watchtower from which enemy movements could be monitored.

Agriculture and the surviving terraces

In later centuries, local inhabitants used the hill for agriculture. They cut terraces into its slopes to cultivate olives, vines and wheat; remnants of those terraces remain visible. The estate’s name therefore preserves the memory of both the former defensive tower and the locality that developed around it.

The Piona family and the creation of the vineyard estate

In the late 1990s, Franco Piona joined his brother Luciano in the family wine business. Their wish to explore a new territory led the Piona family into Valpolicella and to the acquisition of Torre d’Orti, on the crest of the hill overlooking Marcellise. The family retained the historic place-name for the estate.

Following the acquisition, the former watchtower land was converted and replanted as vineyards dedicated to Valpolicella wines. The project focused on the hill’s altitude, north-eastern exposure, ventilation and distinctive combination of red earth, marl and pale calcareous rock—conditions associated with low grape pH, high acidity and suitability for wines intended to evolve over time.

Franco and Luciano subsequently refined a technical approach intended to help the fruit and territory express themselves without forcing nature. Their aim was consistency of identity across vintages rather than standardisation through an imposed style.

Shared family structure

Torre d’Orti remains a distinct estate and legally autonomous agricultural business within the Piona family’s group of estates. It participates in Cavalchina in Rete, a network of agricultural simple partnerships established to conduct agricultural activity—particularly viticulture—in common. The businesses share grape processing and divide the resulting production while retaining their separate legal and managerial identities. Torre d’Orti was included in the network’s sustainability reporting perimeter for the 2023 calendar year.

Position and elevation

Torre d’Orti occupies the crest and north-eastern side of the hills above Marcellise. The estate vineyards extend between approximately 200 and 350 metres above sea level; vineyard specifications for individual selections place source areas in the 250–300-metre and 300–350-metre bands. The drying facility used for appassimento stands at 300 metres.

Exposure and air movement

The slopes face north-east and receive moderate ventilation from northerly winds. Thermal convection currents from the foothills also provide natural airflow around the drying rooms. The combination of aspect, elevation and ventilation reduces the risk of mould and vine disease and helps preserve the fruit’s characteristic acidity.

Soils

The Marcellise hills bring together red earth associated with the Valpolicella Classica area and marl, while the estate also marks a transition toward pale calcareous rock characteristic of the wider Valpolicella zone. Vineyard descriptions characterise the soils as predominantly marly, with layers of red earth. Marl and limestone are central to the estate’s understanding of the site.

Effect on the grapes

The soils, altitude and ventilated exposure produce grapes with high acidity and low pH. These parameters are associated with balance among alcohol, tannic structure and fruit, as well as freshness and capacity for long ageing.

The vines are trained to single Guyot on north-east-facing slopes. Elevation, exposure and northerly ventilation help the grapes reach healthy ripeness while lowering the risk of mould and vine disease.

Harvesting is carried out by hand for the documented vineyard selections. Grapes are picked according to the different ripening times of the varieties. Fruit intended for fresh red vinification can be harvested in the first days of October once phenolic maturity is complete. Grapes selected for appassimento are collected in small trays or plateaux so that intact, healthy berries can be transferred to the drying rooms.

Torre d’Orti is included in the 2023 sustainability reporting perimeter of Cavalchina in Rete, whose management framework was developed under Equalitas. A distinct organic, biodynamic or regenerative farming status is not defined.

Torre d’Orti participates in a coordinated production structure within Cavalchina in Rete. The member agricultural businesses share grape processing and divide the resulting production while retaining legal and managerial autonomy.

The estate’s cellar work combines conventional red-wine production with the traditional appassimento and ripasso practices used across its Valpolicella range. Fresh grapes undergo red fermentation in vats, followed by maceration managed to achieve tannic balance. Malolactic fermentation is used where appropriate, and maturation employs small barrels, medium-sized barrels and, in some cases, 20-hl casks.

Grapes selected for drying are harvested in small trays and transferred to dedicated rooms. Their position and the foothill’s thermal convection currents provide natural ventilation; air conditioning is reserved for temperature or humidity conditions that threaten grape health. The drying facility is situated at 300 metres above sea level. Depending on the intended production, appassimento can continue until late December or early January.

Fermentation of dried grapes proceeds slowly because of the cool cellar temperature and high sugar concentration. Documented cellar techniques include daily pump-overs, gentle daily cap-breaking, and mixed pump-over and délestage regimes. Wines are drawn off after maceration and matured in small barrels; selected lots may subsequently be assembled in larger casks. Ripasso production passes young Valpolicella over the pomace of dried Corvina, Corvinone and Rondinella before ageing in small and medium barrels.

Across these different processes, technique is intended to preserve fruit freshness, acidity and the identity of the site rather than impose a predetermined stylistic model.