Cantina Roeno, Veneto, Italy
Roeno’s 1865 pre-phylloxera vineyard in the Adige river valley on the boarder with Trentino.
Veneto, Italy
Cantina Roeno sits on the banks of the river Adige, between Monte Baldo and the Lessinia plateau in the appellation of Terradeiforti DOC. Their vineyards which date back to 1865, extend up to the municipality of Affi and Caprino Veronese, with some extending as north as the Trentino DOC appellation.
What makes this estate stand out is its production made from the rare and very old red grape variety Enantio, also known as Lambrusco a foglia frastagliata, a variety native of Vallagarina. Enantio produces a powerful wine with structure and depth, yet elegant on the palate, showing extraordinary persistence, supported by a constantly evolving balance between acidity and tannic texture.
The name Enantio was mentioned for the first time in the 1st century AD by Plinio il Vecchio, in one of the volumes of his “Naturalis Historia”. It comes from the adaptation of a wild vine, the Vite Ambrusca, which, even today, is found in the Valle dei Molini, among the brambles on the slopes of Monte Baldo, between lake Garda and the Adige valley.
It is not only the ancient origin that makes its history unique. In the second half of the 19th century, with the arrival of phylloxera, which destroyed most of Europe’s vineyards, the Enantio vineyards cultivated along the Adige River were not affected, thanks to the sandy-siliceous structure of the soil. This un-grafted vine is a rare example of authentic viticulture of the territory expressing the character, vigour and charm of this geographical area, bordering between Veneto and Trentino.
Map showing the location of Roeno’s vineyards in brown.