The Santa Sofia Estate has headquarters and cellars in Pedemonte (VR), one of the most beautiful and mildest zones in the Classic Valpolicella area. The origins of the Villa date back to 1560 when nobleman Marcantonio Serego turned to the genius of architect Andrea Palladio to build the superb noble villa in the centre of his land-holdings. This villa has become, with time, the symbol of the Estate. Santa Sofia, with the turn-over of generations, has built up and maintained a reputation as a "small estate with high quality" and has become one of the most refined and significant realities in the Veronese winemaking world. In the nineteen sixties the Begnoni family, owners of the cellars, met increasing market demand by starting close collaboration with the best and qualified grape growers in the zone. They selected and carefully made wine from grapes coming from the most suited and best exposed hillsides in the surrounding area. Red wines are well balanced and have great body.
White wines are fresh with delicate bouquets.
Both are the fruit of a superb marriage between age-old traditions and experience and the essential contribution of modern technology. The grapes used to make Recioto, Montegradella and prestigious Amarone are left on racks to dry up to 120 days. This eliminates about 30% of their water component and gives a precious juice with a high sugar content.
Delicate pressing and low temperature fermentation (any type of physical-chemical stabilisation in forbidden) are the rule for all wines that carry the Santa Sofia brand. White wines are maintained in modern steel containers.
Great red wines, after solemn and slow ageing in barrels made of Slavonia and Allier oak, undergo final refining in the bottle. Giancarlo Begnoni together with his son and daughter Luciano and Patrizia, enthusiastic businessmen, live their role as witnesses and custodians of a great wine-making tradition with intense passion.
For years they have been pursuing a "strategy of excellence" that has permitted the Estate to place its wines in the most refined Restaurants, the most exclusive Hotels and the most well-furnished Wine Shops everywhere throughout the world. Today these centuries-old cellars, stone arches and ancient barrels combine with entrepreneurial decisions to continue to offer a complete expression of the best in quality.
These are wines of exceptional quality, available in limited quantities and that express the very best Santa Sofia winemaking philosophy. They are aimed at particularly expert and refined consumers. The Santa Sofia Estate, using an exceptionally attentive winemaking process and lengthy refinement in the bottle, adds softness and well-rounded palatable smoothness to the typical characteristics of great wines such as Amarone (superb structure, intense bouquet, great body), making these celebrated wines more enjoyable, versatile and closer to modern consumer customs.