Corte Gonella

Young soldier returning from the Great War, Giuseppe Gonella, already a farmer from the Asti area, finds himself passing through the beautiful hills of Valpolicella, where he meets Grandma Natalia, owner of some vineyards in S. Peretto. Together they form a family, and Grandpa Giuseppe starts the winemaking business in the 1930s.

Gonella, a family story

Initially, his collaborators are the families of the sharecroppers living in the adjacent farmhouse. In the 1950s, the management of the company passes to his son Giovanni. A person with great warmth, he lives with the family of his sister Maria, sharing his passion as a winemaker with his nephews Giorgio and Giuseppe.

The latter learn, from Uncle Giovanni's experience, the fundamental secrets of producing those renowned wines that are the pride of Valpolicella from a young age.
In the mid-1970s, with the end of sharecropping, Giorgio and Giuseppe, having finished their studies, enter the agricultural and winemaking reality of the company.
Over the years, the two brothers bring improvements both in vineyard cultivation and in the production and aging of wines.
In 2006, upon the passing of Uncle Giovanni, Giorgio and Giuseppe founded the brand "Corte Gonella" and thus continue with commitment and passion the winemaking activity passed down from their uncle to Paolo, Giorgio's son.
Together, Giorgio, Giuseppe, and Paolo carry on the family tradition with that enthusiasm that has never waned over time.

Corte Gonella: wines from Valpolicella Classica

The company, with its adjacent vineyards, is located in the historical part (identified as the Classica area) of Valpolicella, in the municipality of Negrar, in the locality of San Peretto.

The 6 hectares of vineyard are situated at about 250 meters above sea level, thus in the hilly area. The soils are of volcanic basalt composition (toar) and partly calcareous, with a southeast exposure, ideal for optimal grape ripening.
The training systems for the vines are exclusively pergola, with soil cover and weeding performed in the inter-row by working the soil, excluding all types of chemical herbicides. The average age of the vineyards is 20 years, and the production per hectare is 120 quintals in the best years (the maximum allowed by the Valpolicella wine specification).

The cultivated grapes are mainly the varieties of corvina, corvinone, rondinella, molinara and other indigenous varieties. Corvina, along with corvinone, is the most important variety among the grapes used for Valpolicella, thanks to its technological characteristics during the winemaking phase and phenolic properties, thereby providing structure and body to the wine.

The harvest usually takes place between late September and October, carried out entirely by hand, first selecting the best clusters destined for the production of Amarone and Recioto, which are placed on trays and then taken to the fruit room for drying. Later, the remaining grapes on the vine are harvested, freshly crushed, destined for Valpolicella.
The company, registered with the Consorzio Tutela Vini Valpolicella, vinifies its own grapes inside the cellar, bringing the resulting wines to aging in steel tanks and for some of them in tonneaux and oak barrels.
Here they are aged for 12-18 months before being bottled, where the wine will rest for a short period before being put on sale.