Its Roots
To understand how solid Tenute Ugolini’s roots are, we need to take a leap back to 1996, when after the death of his father Angelo, Giambattista Ugolini decided to take over the family business to make a dream come true: to vinify grapes from his own vineyards, which until then had been sold to other producers in the area. Success officially blossomed in 2010, when the first bottles of Valpolicella and Amarone “signed” Ugolini were produced. Year after year, the estates expanded with the purchase of additional vineyards in the Fumane Valley and Villa San Michele (in San Pietro in Cariano), now the company’s headquarters.
A World of Emotions Awaits
The five vineyards owned by Tenute Ugolini, which welcome visitors to their territory and inspire the names of some of their wines, are Pozzetto (the historic vineyard of Tenute Ugolini), San Michele, Monte Solane, Valle Alta, and Valle Lena. They cover 22 hectares planted with corvina, corvinone, rondinella, molinara, and oseleta, which are native grape varieties of Valpolicella certified as organic by Icea since 2016. In addition to the five vineyards, there are approximately 7,000 square meters of olive groves owned by Tenute Ugolini in the Fumane Valley, giving rise to three extra evo olive oils: Pozzetto, San Michele, and Valle Alta, named after the respective lands where the olive groves are located.
The Magic of San Michele Vineyard
Among the five vineyards, San Michele stands out for its location on the Bure hill, where the homonymous villa is located – an ancient farmhouse that now serves as the headquarters of Tenute Ugolini. It is ready to welcome wine enthusiasts who wish to be enchanted by the wines of Valpolicella while also discovering the history, culture, and traditions of this magical territory. After undergoing significant conservation-restoration, Villa San Michele has been open every day since 2014 and organizes various tastings in its different rooms, including the Blue Room, Red Room, Ivory Room, Map Room, Historical Kitchen, and Wine Garden.
But experiencing a Wine Experience in the lands of Tenute Ugolini is not just about excellent tastings. Additionally, Tenute Ugolini organizes guided tours of the vineyards and cellar, as well as guided tours within the Fumane Valley, including nature tour guides. And that’s not all. Tenute Ugolini also offers the opportunity to participate in events and tastings where wine tasting is accompanied by artistic performances, opera, theater, and dance.
The Ambassador of Precious Emotions
From their deep love for organic agriculture emerges the nine labels produced by Tenute Ugolini: six cru wines under the Ugolini brand and three in the Magna Mòra collection. The six Ugolini wines have a strong connection to the territory: making each product an expression of its vineyard, it tells a story about the lands, personality, aromas, and terroir. Moreover, to truly experience a Wine Experience in Valpolicella Classica, one must request to be accompanied by the ultimate ambassador of this territory, the Valpolicella Classico Superiore DOCG “San Michele della Chiesa.” Produced in limited editions and only in special vintages, San Michele della Chiesa comes from eight selected rows within a vineyard that surrounds the church of San Michele, which overlooks the lands of Tenute Ugolini. It is said that the guardian monks of the San Michele church chose this vineyard to cultivate their vines and produce precious wines to offer to their superior, the Abbot of the San Zeno monastery, now the patronal Basilica of the city of Verona.
An exclusive Wine Experience
Among the many offerings from Tenute Ugolini, one of the most beautiful experiences is represented by the “Wine & Opera” tastings in music. The guiding principle is clear: wine tasting is a sensory experience. It stimulates taste, touch, sight, smell, and hearing. In this case, for a different sensory experience, each wine is accompanied by an opera character, a lyrical aria that duets with the character of the wine: Valpolicella POZZETTO with “Lauretta from Gianni Schicchi,” Valpolicella Superiore SAN MICHELE with “Carmen,” Valpolicella Ripasso MONTE SOLANE with “Suzel from L’amico Fritz,” Amarone VALLE ALTA with “Dalila from Samson et Dalila,” and Recioto VALLE LENA with “Violetta from La Traviata.” The tasting is accompanied by Italian gastronomic excellence, all enriched by the voice and piano of Maria Giuditta Guglielmi.
