The Production Area
Located in the heart of historic Valpolicella
The production area of the Cantina Sociale di S. Pietro in Cariano consists of the five municipalities of the historic Valpolicella region: San Pietro in Cariano, Marano di Valpolicella, Fumane, Negrar and S. Ambrogio di Valpolicella, about 20 km from Verona, in the north-western part of the province.
It is a hilly region divided into four valleys formed by the ridges that descend from the glaciers of the Lessini Mountains. The soil has a high concentration of limestone and is very stony, ideal for growing grapes.
The slopes, which are not too steep, have excellent exposure to the sun and provide the perfect environment for the grapes intended for appassimento (drying) for the production of “recioto” and “amarone”, which require the grapes to have very precise characteristics, and optimal ripeness for the grapes that are used for immediate vinification, those that are used to produce “Valpolicella Classico”.
“A cooperative winery with close links to the region and its history”
HISTORY
The history of the wines of the Cantina Sociale di San Pietro in Cariano unfolded in the ancient territory of “Pagus Arusnatium”. In the 5th century BC the area was the home of the Arusnati, an ancient Rhaetian people who farmed the land. Even back then, the area produced a wine that the Roman poets, from Columella to Virgil, and as late as Pliny the Elder, praised as “vino retino” (strained wine).
In the village of S. Pietro in Cariano there are a lot of Roman remains, such as the funeral stele of Arria Aquileia, the Chimera of Corrubbio, which is evidence of the connection between the Arusnate civilization and the Etruscan tradition, and several tombs that were full of funerary objects, now on display in the Vienna museum.
St. Pietro in Cariano has always been an important centre of habitation. So important, in fact, that during the Venetian period it became the seat of the Vicariate of Valpolicella. The Vicar was a Veronese nobleman responsible for running the administration and justice system of the region and the coats of arms of the successive Vicars can still be seen on the facade of the old Town Hall.
History has left us, therefore, a rich artistic heritage
As you can see, the region has a rich cultural heritage, with an abundance of beautiful churches and villas (among which that of Santa Sofia stands out, designed by Andrea Palladio for Marcantonio Serego) all in attractive locations and set in a landscape of vineyards, cherry trees and cypresses known as “the garden of Verona”.
Purchasing our products
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