Allegrini’s viticultural roots in the Veneto date back to 1557, when Allegrino Allegrini first acquired the rights to use water from local springs to cultivate his land; 60 years later, the family was officially one of the largest landowners in Fumane. Vine growing continued for centuries, although the estate’s modern-day history began with Giovanni Allegrini during the mid-twentieth century. While the family had long been producing wine in what today is the Valpolicella Classico area, it was the proud, impassioned, and forward-thinking Giovanni who ultimately began focusing on the estate’s production of fine wines, including the Amarone, for which Allegrini is now deemed a benchmark producer.
Giovanni introduced innovations in both the viticultural and vinification realms of winemaking, championing quality over quantity in the vineyard and the winery.
The Company was the first in the region to switch to the Guyot training system, which allows for higher plant density and vines with optimal foliage exposure, which in turn facilitates an increase in photosynthesis and, therefore, riper fruit.
His son Walter followed in his footsteps and, after his untimely death in 2003, the company passed into the hands of the equally strong-willed Marilisa and Franco Allegrini, who beautifully bridged the gap between the traditional mindset and modern, innovative techniques. Sadly, the recent passing of her sibling, Franco, has left Marilisa as the sole representative of the 6th generation of the Allegrini Family.
Marilisa now runs the Company alongside several representatives of the 7th generation of the Family: Silvia, Walter’s daughter, Francesco, Franco’s son, and Caterina, Marilisa’s daughter.
The pioneering spirit of the Company has continued to characterise Allegrini’s operations to this day.
Allegrini currently owns 120 hectares of vines in the Valpolicella Classico area which are dedicated to indigenous varieties and are cultivated on chalky slopes. All of the company’s wines are produced from estate-grown grapes.
Recent acquisitions have seen Allegrini expand towards the Eastern part of the city of Verona, in a beautiful east-facing amphitheatre called Oasi di San Giacomo. In this particular point – at the intersection between the enlarged production area of Valpolicella and that of Soave – it is possible to produce both of these wines, which embody the excellence of Veronese’s territory.
In Lugana, Oasi Mantellina is the Allegrini Family’s latest challenge. With 40 hectares located in the municipality of Pozzolengo, it is one of the most interesting appellations in northern Italy. Allegrini’s Lugana traces its own unique path, where aromaticity delicately outlines a fresh and subtle soul, combining immediacy and longevity.
Beyond Veneto, Allegrini also owns Poggio al Tesoro, a company located in Bolgheri, Tuscany, renowned across the world for its international grape varieties such as Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot. In 2007, Allegrini expanded its horizons with the acquisition of San Polo in Montalcino. Situated in a landscape of exquisite beauty, it is in one of the most supremely well-suited winegrowing areas in the appellation.
Passionately committed to the best vineyard management, Allegrini has also chosen to allow grass to grow between the vines (rather than till and use chemical fertilizers) so as to increase biodiversity and prevent soil erosion. In 2017, Allegrini received ‘Biodiversity Friend’ certification, evidencing its environmentally-friendly work in the vineyards. The path towards sustainability continues and in fact in 2020, the Company has achieved EQUALITAS certification, attesting to the sustainability of its supply chain with regard to the environment, society, and the economy, and also involving the entire network of suppliers.
In addition to its high-quality Valpolicella and Amarone wines, Allegrini is also known for its single-vineyard wines such as Palazzo della Torre, La Grola, and its boundary-pushing wines like La Poja. When Giovanni Allegrini decided to plant only Corvina – Valpolicella’s most important grape – on the top of the hill called La Grola in 1979, he did not imagine the extraordinary success and iconic status this wine would achieve. His love for his native land and intuitive grasp of the intrinsic potential of Corvina to yield a powerful, structured wine – even without the need for appassimento – emboldened him to create the first single-vineyard Corvina, despite having to step outside the local DOC regulations.
The latest Single Vineyard wine released on the market in 2017 is Fieramonte Amarone which has recently been awarded with 100 points by the highly prestigious Decanter Magazine.
