February 28th: Tenuta Santa Maria with Giovanni Bertani
At Vinonueva | 5582 NE 4th Ct, Miami, FL, 33137 | 7:00 pm-8:30 pm
GUEST LIST IS CLOSED
In partnership with Indigenous Selections and Aspect Fine Wines.
Join us for a walkthrough tasting with Giovanni Bertani of Tenuta Santa Maria, a key figure in a venerable winemaking lineage from Italy's Veneto region. The Bertani name is synonymous with excellence and is associated with some of the region's most esteemed wines.
Giovanni (left), Guglielmo and Gaetano Bertani
Photo credits: Decanter, 2022
BACKGROUND
The Bertani saga is a fascinating journey through centuries of winemaking. Yet, it was the entrepreneurial spirit of Gaetano and Giovanni Battista Bertani that truly set the stage for modern viticulture in the Veneto region.
This duo was ahead of their time, being the first to get serious about bottling and selling local varietals like Valpolicella Ripasso and Soave on a large scale. They were behind the first modern dry Valpolicella in the 1920s, called Recioto Secco, and introduced the first modern Amarone in the 1950s. The Bertani's were also innovative in the vineyard and cellar, introducing methods that brought them national and international recognition for winemaking quality.
Gaetano Bertani founded Tenuta Santa Maria in the early 1990s as a personal project. The estate now includes two wineries and spans across the most expressive terroirs in Verona: Arbizzano di Negrar in Valpolicella Classica, Valpantena, and Val d'Ilasi. The heart of the operations lies at Villa Mosconi-Bertani, an estate just outside Verona, famed for its authentic walled vineyard.
Villa Mosconi-Bertani
Photo credits: Tenuta Santa Maria
- Villa Mosconi Bertani in the Valpolicella Classica (Negrar): Nestled 200 meters above sea level, minutes from Verona, and 20km from Lake Garda, these vineyards enjoy a perfect microclimate and exposure. Located on sedimentary marl soil over limestone, it's an ideal spot for vines. They are producing the renowned Amarone and Valpolicella wines.
- Tenuta Santa Maria alla Pieve in the Illasi Valley: This historic estate, owned by Gaetano Bertani's family, is situated at the southern end of the Illasi Valley, bordered by Valpolicella DOC to the west and Soave DOC to the east. Here, they grow the Merlot for the production of Decima Aurea, Chardonnay for the elegant Torre Pieve, and Garganega for Lepiga Soave DOC.
Vineyard Map
Photo Credits: Tenuta Santa Maria
Following the loss of Gaetano Bernatini in 2020, Giovanni and Guglielmo Bertani have embraced their legacy, guided by years of extensive winemaking experience with their father. Tenuta Santa Maria focuses on crafting wines that exemplify longevity, elegance, and balance, with tradition, technological advancements, and sustainable practices guiding every step from vineyard to bottle. The Bertani family continues to produce wines that express, in Gaetano Bertani's words, 'elegance over strength; complexity as an expression of our terroir... because each wine should reflect its territory.'
Check out the lineup for this tasting:
- Tenuta Santa Maria Lepiga Soave DOC 2022
- Tenuta Santa Maria Pragal Rosso Veronese IGT 2020
- Tenuta Santa Maria Valpolicella Classico Superiore DOC 2020
- Tenuta Santa Maria Valpolicella Classico Superiore Ripasso DOC 2020
- Tenuta Santa Maria Amarone Classico Della Valpolicella Riserva DOCG 2017
- Tenuta Santa Maria Recioto Classico Della Valpolicella DOCG 2020