Cantina di Monteforte D'Alpone

Type of activity: social winery

Getting Form

Vineyard area: 13 municipalities in the area neighboring Monteforte d'Alpone, mostly on the hills of the municipalities of Monteforte d'Alpone, Soave, Montecchia and S.Giovanni Ilarione

Altitude: from 30 to 400 m above sea level

Training system: 90% pergola and 10% espalier

Grape varieties: mainly Garganega. But also Durella, Pinot Grigio, Chardonnay, Cabernet, Merlot, and the Valpolicella varieties.

Soil type: basaltic, calcareous and in a small part clayey

The Cantina di Monteforte was established in March 1952 as a consortium of 80 winemakers in the area, united by the love for the land and for the vine, in a sunny hilly area, dedicated to quality wine and its maximum protection. Nowadays, the Cantina di Monteforte S.c.a. counts 600 members with 1300 hectares of vineyard of which 80% is D.O.C. The Cantina di Monteforte is located at the entrance of the Val d'Alpone, famous worldwide for the fossils of Bolca and the Soave Classico. The Cellar deals with 200.000 quintals of grapes a year. The land from which the grapes come are mainly hilly with volcanic and give the wines an unmistakable taste. The exposure of the vineyards and the mild and temperate climate complete the harmony and delicacy of the bouquet with floral scents ranging from elderberry, acacia and hawthorn, with hints of violet. The vinification and care with which the wines are prepared are the result of great technology closely linked to tradition.

Interview with Gaetano Tobin

How did you start collaborating with Farina?

Everything started with a friendship. Claudio and I are above all really good friends, the professional collaboration has been a consequence. We then managed to find a combination between my need to improve the average quality of red wines and his desire for expansion in the white wine sector. We asked ourselves: "Why don’t we combine our expertise to have mutual benefit from it?".

And so ...

So 3 years ago I decided to entrust my red grapes to Claudio and together we started to taste the wines produced with my white grapes. Our relationship is based primarily on the dialogue: we both try to understand what the customer wants and we always aim for the best quality. Today Claudio produces red wines, Amarone and Ripasso, with our grapes for the Cantina di Monteforte and we supply Farina with white wine.

What kind of company is Farina?

It is a dynamic company, which has clear ideas. I also think that Claudio is a person who sees well beyond the present, he’s almost a visionary.

What’s your favorite wine among Farina’s?

The Amarone, Remo Farina selection. In general the whole range has different notes compared to the average. These are wines with a soul and in the glass you can feel it.

What is the philosophy of Cantina di Monteforte?

We try to respect the tradition projecting it into the future not forgetting where we were born and our main variety: Garganega. 85% of our wine comes from white Garganega grapes in its various forms. This consistency has earned us a coveted Tre Bicchieri with our Castellaro vineyard.

What message do you want to leave to Farina?

I would like to tell them to always keep their friends close, they are the ones who contribute to success.

- Interview with Gaetano Tobin