AZIENDA AGRICOLA CA LA BIONDA VERONA

The Azienda Agricola Ca’ la Bionda is situated in the commune of Marano di Valpolicella, in the heart of the historically “classic” zone of the Valpolicella. The vineyard area extends over 29

hectares of hillside land at an altitude which ranges between 150 and 300 meters above sea level and with an eastern exposure. The winery, recently renovated and restructured, was founded in

1902 by Pietro Castellani who was both a passionate and dedicated grape grower and wine-maker.

The Castellani family, currently in its fourth generation, continues with the same commitment and passion the work began by Pietro more than one hundred years ago. All phases of the wine-making process, cultivation of the highest quality grapes, grape harvest, vinification, ageing and marketing are carried out directly by the family. Particular attention and care are given to the delicate process of grape drying or “appassimento” that is essential for the making of Recioto and Amarone, the region’s greatest and most noble wines.

While the new winery demonstrates great aesthetic taste it is above all highly practical and functional. By exploiting the natural topography of the land the new winery has been designed without the need to use pumps for moving musts and wine around the winery. As the different phases of the process of vinification are carried out on different levels of the winery we are able to exploit the force of gravity for shifting volumes of must or wine around the winery. In this way the wine is not subjected to the violent impact that is typical of a pump and ensures a better preservation of all the wine’s inherent qualities.

The quality and authenticity of our wines are the result of an uncompromising passion that is shared by all members of the Castellani family and which has been passed from generation to generation for more than a century.

The Vineyards

Process currently the company comprises a total area of thirty hectares, of which twenty-nine are cultivated with vineyard, at an altitude that ranges from 150 to 300 meters, with Eastern exposure.

The company makes wine only from autochthonous grapes (Corvina, Corvinone, Rondinella and Molinara) originating from its own vineyards.

In agriculture we pay great attention to the safeguard and respect for the environment convinced as we are of the fact that future generations will have to live off the cultivation of these lands: for years we have discontinued the use, which is unfortunately widespread, of herbicides to clear weeds, and of polluting and highly toxic pesticides and anticryptogamic agents, for the preservation of the micro-flora of the land, of the water tables and in general directly or indirectly for the safeguard of man’s health.

Starting in 1990 all the dry walls (marogne) have been restored, preferring the terracing solution, which guarantees an optimal exposure, to easier and economical excavation solutions which are nowadays feasible thanks to the great progresses in the mechanical field (powerful tractors and excavators etc…) which in the past few years have partly changed the morphology of our hills.

The love for our land, which we consider unique and incomparable, is shared by all the members of our family.