Allegrini

The Allegrini family has been a leading landowning presence in Fumane and Valpolicella Classico since the 16th century, with a formal agricultural estate recorded from 1854. The winery as it is known today was shaped by Giovanni Allegrini, who from the 1960s transformed the family farm into a quality-driven producer, introducing innovations in viticulture and cellar practice that are widely credited with sparking the renaissance of the Valpolicella region. Giovanni was nicknamed 'the barrel spider' for his restless movement from barrel to barrel, tasting and refining each wine. When he died in 1983 at the age of 63, his three children, Franco, Walter, and Marilisa, continued his work. Walter died unexpectedly in 2003, and Franco, who devoted himself to winemaking and perfecting appassimento, passed away in early 2022. The estate today is led by Franco's sons and Walter's daughter, representing the seventh generation of family management.

• Formal estate established 1854 in Fumane; family presence in Valpolicella Classico documented since the 16th century
• Giovanni Allegrini (1960s-1983) pioneered quality-focused, cru-based winemaking and was the first to bottle wines from the estate; earned the nickname 'the barrel spider' for his obsessive cellar work
• Valpolicella Classico comprises five communes: Sant'Ambrogio, San Pietro in Cariano, Fumane, Marano, and Negrar; soils are predominantly calcareous, dating geologically to the Jurassic and Cretaceous periods
• Franco Allegrini (1983-2022) perfected the appassimento technique and built the Terre di Fumane cooperative drying facility, improving the process across the region

Allegrini's significance rests on its role in elevating Valpolicella from a region associated with bulk wine to one capable of producing fine, terroir-driven expressions. Giovanni Allegrini's decision to acquire La Grola, replant it to Corvina using Guyot training at increased planting density, and later identify the La Poja plateau for a 100% Corvina cru, demonstrated that indigenous Veronese varieties could compete with the finest wines in Italy. La Poja became the original 'Super Veronese,' proving that great Corvina did not require the appassimento process to achieve complexity and concentration. Franco Allegrini's subsequent innovations in drying technique and the creation of the Palazzo della Torre double-fermentation method further expanded the vocabulary of Valpolicella winemaking. The estate is consistently described as the benchmark for gastronomic Amarone, emphasizing mineral linearity and balance over sheer extraction.

• La Poja (1979) was the first single-vineyard 100% Corvina wine in Valpolicella made without appassimento, establishing the 'Super Veronese' concept
• Franco Allegrini built the Terre di Fumane cooperative drying facility, modernizing appassimento not just for Allegrini but for the wider Valpolicella region
• Allegrini is widely regarded as the benchmark for gastronomic Amarone, favoring mineral freshness and elegant structure over heavy extraction
• The 2007 vintage decision to use Stelvin closures on Valpolicella, sacrificing Classico DOC status to eliminate cork taint, reflected a commitment to wine quality over appellation convention

Allegrini's portfolio is organized from entry-level DOC to single-vineyard crus and flagship Amarone. Core wines include Valpolicella DOC, Valpolicella Classico Superiore, the Giovanni Allegrini Recioto della Valpolicella Classico (dedicated to the founder since 1990), Amarone della Valpolicella Classico DOCG, and the Fieramonte Amarone Riserva. The three prestige crus, La Grola, La Poja, and Palazzo della Torre, are all classified as Veronese IGT because they deviate from the grape requirements of the Valpolicella DOC. La Grola blends 90% Corvina Veronese with 10% Oseleta and is aged 16 months in second-fill barriques and large oak casks. La Poja is 100% Corvina from a single 2.65-hectare plateau above La Grola. Palazzo della Torre uses a double-fermentation method with Corvina, Rondinella, and Sangiovese. From the 2007 vintage, Allegrini's Valpolicella is sealed under Stelvin, losing Classico status. The estate also produces a Lugana DOC from 40 hectares purchased in Pozzolengo in 2018, and distributes entry-level wines under the Corte Giara label, established in 1989.

• All three prestige crus, La Grola, La Poja, and Palazzo della Torre, are Veronese IGT due to non-DOC grape compositions or techniques
• La Grola: 90% Corvina Veronese, 10% Oseleta; 30-hectare vineyard at 310m in Sant'Ambrogio; 16 months in second-fill barriques and large casks
• La Poja: 100% Corvina Veronese; 2.65-hectare calcareous plateau at approximately 320m above La Grola; planted 1979; 4,240 vines per hectare
• Corte Giara négociant label established 1989; Lugana DOC production began after 2018 purchase of 40 hectares in Pozzolengo near Lake Garda

Allegrini manages approximately 150 hectares across Valpolicella Classico and Lugana. The four named Valpolicella crus, Palazzo della Torre, La Grola, La Poja, and Fieramonte, are all situated within the Classico zone, alongside the modern Terre di Fumane drying facility and the historic Villa della Torre estate. La Grola is a 30-hectare site at 310 metres above sea level on calcareous clay soils with southeast orientation, planted at densities of 4,240 to 6,500 vines per hectare using Guyot training. La Poja sits above La Grola at around 320 metres on a flat, almost entirely calcareous plateau with 78.5% chalk content, rich in gravelly matter, which reflects sunlight to maximize phenolic ripeness. Amarone production follows the DOCG-mandated appassimento process, in which grapes are dried for approximately 100 to 120 days before fermentation. The wine must then age in wood for a minimum of two years before release, with Riserva requiring four years. Allegrini uses a combination of French oak barriques and large Slavonian botti depending on the wine. Palazzo della Torre employs Franco Allegrini's double-fermentation method, where 70% of grapes are vinified fresh and 30% are dried before being added to trigger a second fermentation.

• Appassimento for Amarone: grapes dried approximately 100-120 days per DOCG regulations; fermentation cannot begin before 1 December; minimum 2 years wood aging before release
• La Grola vineyard: 30 hectares, 310m elevation, southeast-facing calcareous clay soils, Guyot-trained at 4,240-6,500 vines per hectare
• La Poja plateau: 2.65 hectares, approximately 320m, 78.5% chalk content, flat exposure maximizing sugar concentration; planted 1979 at 4,240 vines per hectare
• Palazzo della Torre double fermentation: 70% fresh grapes fermented first, 30% dried grapes added for a second fermentation; Corvina, Rondinella, Sangiovese blend; Veronese IGT

The Allegrini family's documented presence in Valpolicella stretches back to the 16th century, but the modern winery was built by Giovanni Allegrini (died 1983), whose innovations in viticulture and cellar practice set the foundation for everything that followed. His children Franco, Walter, and Marilisa took over after his death. Walter, who personally managed viticultural operations, died unexpectedly in summer 2003. Franco, who led winemaking until his death from cancer in early 2022 at the age of 65, is credited with perfecting appassimento and creating the Palazzo della Torre double-fermentation technique. In late 2023 and formally completed in 2024, the family restructured ownership. Franco's sons, Francesco (CEO), Giovanni (Cellar Coordinator and Brand Ambassador), and Matteo (international relations), acquired an 86% majority of Allegrini and Corte Giara. Walter's daughter Silvia, who oversees external relations and sustainability, holds the remaining 14%. Marilisa Allegrini and her daughters Carlotta and Caterina retained ownership of the Tuscan estates Poggio al Tesoro in Bolgheri and San Polo in Montalcino, as well as the Villa della Torre luxury hotel.

• Giovanni Allegrini (d. 1983, aged 63): nicknamed 'the barrel spider'; first to bottle wines from the estate; acquired La Grola in 1979 and pioneered Corvina-focused viticulture
• Franco Allegrini (d. 2022, aged 65): perfected appassimento; built Terre di Fumane drying facility; created Palazzo della Torre double-fermentation method
• 2024 ownership structure: Francesco, Giovanni, Matteo (Franco's sons) hold 86%; Silvia (Walter's daughter) holds 14%; Marilisa and daughters shifted to Tuscan estates and Villa della Torre
• Seventh-generation leadership: Francesco is CEO; Giovanni is Cellar Coordinator and Brand Ambassador; Matteo coordinates international relations; Silvia oversees external relations and sustainability

Allegrini has pursued a structured sustainability program across its Valpolicella operations. The estate first obtained Biodiversity Friend certification in 2017, renewing it since and adding the Biodiversity Friend Beekeeping certification in 2023, recognizing its commitment to protecting pollinator species. In 2019, the winery earned the Equalitas certification, an Italian sustainability standard that encompasses environmental, social, and economic practices and extends to the entire supplier network. Starting in 2021, the company introduced continuous monitoring of water consumption in the vineyards and initiated a carbon footprint tracking program to measure and where possible offset CO2 emissions. The estate's Certified Sustainable in the EU status is noted by importers. A new production center is currently under construction in Fumane, named after the family's paternal grandmother, which will consolidate production for both Allegrini and Corte Giara.

• Biodiversity Friend certification held since 2017; Biodiversity Friend Beekeeping certification added in 2023
• Equalitas sustainability certification (environmental, social, economic) earned in 2019; covers the full supplier network
• Continuous water consumption monitoring and carbon footprint tracking program introduced in 2021
• New production center under construction in Fumane, named after the paternal grandmother of Francesco, Giovanni, Matteo, and Silvia