Vignalta
Vignalta is the leading producer in the Veneto's little known DOC region of Colli Euganei (pronounced: oo-gan-I). The area lies to the north of the Venice lagoon in a bizarrely shaped set of hills rising out of the Venetian plain. While Eugenai has never been highly regarded as a producer of high quality wine that all changed when Lucio Gomiero, inspried by the wines of Bordeaux, decided to start making the changes to his family estate to ensure the highest level of quality. The vineyard area covers various parts of the 123 acre property with varieties planted according to the two very different soil types found on the property; volcanic and chalk and marlstone.
Plantings are varied but in reds the focus here is on the Bordeaux varieties and most particularly merlot (a variety present in this part of the world for centuries), while in white there is pinot bianco, manzoni (a hybrid of pinot bianco and riesling), as well as orange and white muscat. Like the merlot and cabernet the white varieties have been planted in the Euganei for hundreds of years.
The wines of Vignalta do offer something quite different than what might appear from merlot, cabernet and pinot bianco, and moscato. In fact the merlot is some of the most expressive and varietal we have seen out of Italy while the manzoni (called Agno Casto) offers something unique in its aromatic and textural underpinnings. Similarly, the Moscato Fior d'Arancio (made from the orange muscat) is a more fragrant and lithe variant of the usual Moscato (made from Canelli Muscat) more commonly found in Piemonte.
Plantings are varied but in reds the focus here is on the Bordeaux varieties and most particularly merlot (a variety present in this part of the world for centuries), while in white there is pinot bianco, manzoni (a hybrid of pinot bianco and riesling), as well as orange and white muscat. Like the merlot and cabernet the white varieties have been planted in the Euganei for hundreds of years.
The wines of Vignalta do offer something quite different than what might appear from merlot, cabernet and pinot bianco, and moscato. In fact the merlot is some of the most expressive and varietal we have seen out of Italy while the manzoni (called Agno Casto) offers something unique in its aromatic and textural underpinnings. Similarly, the Moscato Fior d'Arancio (made from the orange muscat) is a more fragrant and lithe variant of the usual Moscato (made from Canelli Muscat) more commonly found in Piemonte.