Producer: CANTINA CASTELNUOVO DEL GARDA
Appellation of Origin: DOC GARDA
Variety: 100% Chardonnay
Winemaking: Fermented and aged in stainless steel tanks.
JAN code: 4582565754131
The grapes are harvested from a 25 hectare field planted with Chardonnay, and only the best, fully ripe bunches are carefully selected each year. In fact, the Chardonnay used in this wine accounts for about 10% of the total harvest. The selection is very strict, with only around the edge.
Yellowish straw color. Complex aroma of ripe tropical fruits, herbs, minerals, etc. In the mouth, you can feel the aroma of herbs along with the fresh fruit flavor, the moderate fullness of the fruit is supported by beautiful acidity, and the moderate minerality gives the overall taste a complex flavor. Cantina Castelnuovo del Garda is a cooperative located in Castelnuovo del Garda, a commune in the province of Verona in the Veneto region. Castelnuovo del Garda is a historic village near Verona. After the land was destroyed by the German King Red Beard Federico Barbarossa in 1154, the village, which was rebuilt with a new castle, came to be called "Castelnuovo = New Castle". It was founded in 1959 by 11 members. Castelnuovo is well suited to grape cultivation, and in addition to traditional varieties such as Rondinella, Molinara, Garganega, and Cortese, a wide variety of grape varieties such as international varieties Merlot and Chardonnay are cultivated. Currently, clean and modern winemaking techniques have been introduced, the association has 260 members, and the area of the fields has expanded to 12,000 hectares. The grapes used in the lineup of Cantina Castelnuovo del Garda that we import are selected according to strict standards. The ingredients of the grapes that have been harvested and collected are checked in the laboratory at the entrance to the winery. The grapes are ranked into three categories based on ripeness, etc. The grapes that are ranked as the best at this stage are used in the lineup currently imported to Japan. The grapes are destemmed and crushed after being graded, and then fermented in the underground winery after removing any unripe grapes. The entire process from when the grapes are brought in to when they are put into the stainless steel tanks underground is carried out efficiently and quickly, so the grapes stay fresh and the resulting wine is surprisingly aromatic for the price.
Sales Manager Andrew had this to say about this thorough quality control:
"There is a reason why our wines are a little more expensive than those of other cooperatives. Other cooperatives focus on buying as many grapes as possible at the lowest possible price so that they can produce a large number of bottles. In contrast, we try to buy grapes at a price that reflects their quality so that we can always supply consumers with wine of consistent quality. This creates a virtuous cycle that allows consumers to always enjoy wine with peace of mind, while at the same time maintaining the motivation of producers to produce good grapes. Incidentally, in the past three years, in order to keep up with demand, production has increased by more than 1.5 times, from 4 million bottles to over 6 million, but we have no intention of lowering the quality of our production. There's no point in losing the trust of our customers."
By the way, the winery also has a direct sales store which is always bustling with locals and people on vacation to Lake Garda, with annual sales of about 1 million euros (approximately 130 million yen). This shows how much people trust this winery.
Featured in the popular Italian wine magazine ILMIOVINO
Castelnuovo del Garda was featured in the Veneto special edition of the popular Italian wine magazine ILMIUOVINO.
[Excerpt from published article]
CANTINADICASTELNUOVODELGARDA
After the war, Italy began to recover in the late 1950s, but agriculture lagged behind. Since most of the farms were family-run, recovery was very difficult. To solve this problem, various cooperatives were founded as the best solution for everyone to join forces. Castelnuovo del Garda is one of them, and this year marks its 51st anniversary. Current president Giorgio Tomasi says, "When it was founded in 1959, there were 11 members, including my father. From the beginning, we set the goal of making healthy, delicious, and stable quality wine, and we gradually grew while consulting with each other." Currently, there are 260 members, and grapes are harvested from a total of 12,000 hectares of fields. In order to further improve the quality in the future, we are considering introducing a system to further improve the accuracy of selecting ripe fruit with the cooperation of the University of Padua. Currently, various types of wine are made, but what is important is an understanding of the terroir, a production method that suits it, and the motivation of the members. Chairman Tomasi has experience in the field and is very understanding. Tomasi says, "I would like to improve the quality of our wines so that they will be loved all over the world."