Farina Wines: Sustainable Excellence in the Heart of the Valpolicella Classica

In the heart of the Valpolicella Classica, where vines sink their roots into centuries of farming history, Farina Wines stands out as one of the most dynamic and innovative wineries in the region. Founded in the early 1900s, today it is led by the fourth generation: cousins Elena and Claudio Farina, united by a shared vision that blends culture, sustainability, and oenological research.

Farming Tradition, Contemporary Vision
The roots of Farina Wines lie in a 16th-century patriarchal house, now home to the winery. In the early decades of the last century, fields once dedicated to cereals and fruit trees were converted to viticulture. With the recognition of the Valpolicella DOC in 1968, Remo, Sandro, and Piero Farina chose to focus on quality, selecting only the best grapes in the region. Since then, the winery has embarked on a path of continuous growth, reaching a turning point in the 2000s with the arrival of Elena and Claudio, and now evolving into a modern, environmentally conscious production.

Sustainable Viticulture and Innovation in the Cellar
Today, Farina Wines is a model of sustainability applied throughout the entire production chain. In the vineyards, no chemical herbicides are used; sexual confusion is employed to reduce pesticides; “Simonit & Sirch” pruning techniques are adopted; and a “smart viticulture” approach ensures respect for the soil’s natural balance.

The 70 hectares under vine - 10 owned and 60 managed by long-standing partner families - are cultivated using intelligent agricultural practices. In the cellar, energy needs are met by photovoltaic panels, hot water and steam reduce the use of chemical detergents, and sulfite levels are kept low thanks to oxygen control technologies. Packaging also follows a green philosophy, with lightweight bottles, recycled paper, and Nomacorc Select Green closures made from sugarcane.

Research, Experimentation, and Signature Wines
Farina Wines is one of the most cutting-edge wineries in Valpolicella. Alongside the historic barrel cellar—symbol of continuity—modern spaces have been developed where wine is the result of study and experimentation. Led by oenologist Andrea Zerman, the team has launched a research project with the University of Verona to reduce sulfite levels through controlled oxygen management during vinification and ageing. To support this evolution, alternative ageing vessels have been introduced—from raw concrete tulip tanks to stoneware amphorae—allowing for a tailor-made maturation calibrated to the characteristics of each wine. A way to preserve varietal purity while exploring new taste expressions.

Farina wines tell the story of a territory through a wide range of nuances, from timeless classics to more contemporary blends. At the heart of it all is Amarone—especially the Famiglia Farina, a tribute to the first wine bottled in 1968, aged in Slavonian oak and cement vats, with a velvety texture and elegant aromas of red fruit and bitter cocoa. Alongside it stands the structured elegance of Montefante Riserva, aged in barriques and large casks, and the novelty Mezzadro alla Fontana, created to honour farmers and rural culture, with long ageing in wood, cement, and bottle. Completing the range are wines such as Montecorna Ripasso, soft and spicy, and Alessandro Valpolicella Superiore, dedicated to Claudio Farina’s father, made from a historic vineyard and aged using methods that merge tradition and experimentation. The line also embraces white wine with Nodo d’Amore, a blend of Garganega, Sauvignon, and Chardonnay from the Tre Venezie, fresh and citrusy, with a passage in barrique.

Since 2023, the Art Ferment initiative, in collaboration with the Artericambi gallery, has integrated contemporary art into the winery tour, with exhibitions and installations that interact with the winery’s spaces, including the atmospheric 16th-century courtyard.

Elena and Claudio Farina are now the faces of a company that produces over 1.3 million bottles a year, 60% of which are exported. Their vision combines passion, transparency, and commitment. Elena has brought a sensitivity to art into the winery, Claudio an international outlook. Together they have built a consistent and sustainable winemaking project, where every bottle tells an authentic story of Valpolicella. As Elena likes to say: “We’ve found the balance we were looking for.” And from that balance, every year, is born a wine that tastes like home, yet speaks to the world.

Amarone della Valpolicella: The Soul of the Winery
At the heart of production lies Amarone della Valpolicella, the icon of the denomination and a true symbol of the Farina winery.

Famiglia Farina – Amarone della Valpolicella Classico DOCG 2021
70% Corvina, 10% Corvinone, 10% Rondinella, 10% Molinara
The grapes come from 40-year-old vines located in San Pietro in Cariano, Marano, Mazzano, and San Peretto di Negrar, at an average altitude of 350 meters with various exposures and diverse soils—mainly calcareous with gravel or stratified with basalt—trained in the traditional Pergola Veronese system. Manual harvest begins in late September. The grapes are naturally dried (appassimento) in small crates for about 100 days in the fruttaio, where temperature and humidity are carefully controlled, resulting in a 40% reduction in grape weight. Beyond sugar and aroma concentration, the slow biological transformation of the berries develops glycerol and resveratrol.

Once dried, the grapes are destemmed and gently crushed, followed by five days of cold maceration. Fermentation begins with selected yeasts in stainless steel tanks and continues at 28°C, with frequent soft pump-overs and one or two délestages. When the sugar is almost depleted, the must undergoes a short post-fermentation maceration before racking. Alcoholic fermentation concludes in cement vats, followed by spontaneous malolactic fermentation. The wine is aged for 24 months in 20HL and 30HL Slavonian oak barrels and rests in the bottle for at least six months, unfiltered.

The name Famiglia Farina reflects the perfect union between the excellence of Amarone and the family—our soul and defining feature. The Famiglia Farina Amarone was launched in 2015, harking back to the historic 1968 vintage, with the aim of recreating its style and label. A tribute to the past, enhanced by modern drying and winemaking techniques and cement fermentation.

Tasting Notes
Deep dark ruby with garnet reflections, dense and intense. On the nose, it opens with an ethereal and complex profile: ripe black cherries, fruit preserved in alcohol, sour cherry jam, followed by sweet spices, bitter cocoa, and elegant balsamic nuances with medicinal herbs. On the palate, it is incisive and penetrating, powerful yet restrained, with velvety, well-integrated tannins and a full, enveloping structure. An Amarone that embraces the traditional style with sobriety and precision—both austere and refined—capable of expressing great depth and remarkable longevity.

Mezzadro alla Fontana – Amarone della Valpolicella Riserva DOCG 2015
70% Corvina, 20% Rondinella, 5% Molinara, 5% Croatina
The grapes come from 60-year-old vines in San Pietro in Cariano, Marano di Valpolicella, and Mazzano di Negrar, at an average altitude of 350 meters with prized vineyard exposures and varied soils—mainly calcareous with gravel or stratified with basalt—trained in the traditional Pergola Veronese system. Manual harvest begins in late September. The bunches are naturally dried (appassimento) in small crates for about 100 days in the fruttaio, where temperature and humidity are constantly monitored, leading to a 40% reduction in grape weight. Beyond concentrating sugars and aromas, the slow biological transformation of the berries also develops glycerol and resveratrol.

Once dried, the grapes are destemmed and gently crushed, followed by seven days of cold maceration. Fermentation begins with selected yeasts in stainless steel tanks and continues for about a month at 28°C, with frequent pump-overs and two délestages. After an additional 10 days of maceration, the must is racked and transferred to cement vats, where malolactic fermentation occurs spontaneously. After racking off the thick lees, the wine is aged for 24 months in French and American barriques, followed by at least 36 months in 20HL and 30HL Slavonian oak barrels, and finally a long bottle ageing.

This wine tells the story of its origins, of the land where it was born, and of the people who made it. The words of the Mezzadro alla Fontana—a sharecropper once tied to the estate—found in old notes and family records, have rekindled the values and passions of the family’s tradition. That legacy is now brought to life in this Amarone Riserva, the result of experience and innovation.

Majestically structured, this is a wine that balances powerful extract with a roundness that embraces all the senses. A sensory journey and a narrative that has linked the Farina family to its land for over 100 years.

Tasting Notes
Deep garnet with orange reflections, a sign of maturity and depth. On the nose, an intense and refined aromatic bouquet unfolds: hints of summer pine forest and underbrush intertwine with notes of myrtle, raspberry, wild strawberries, Cuban tobacco, leather, and candied citrus peel. The sip is dry yet enveloping, with noble, integrated, and velvety tannins that blend beautifully with the wine’s sweet and fruity notes. Richly expressive, with full structure and a decisive character. An Amarone produced only in exceptional vintages, in limited quantities, and released only when it reaches its peak of evolution. A wine that embodies the ethereal elegance of time and reveals its infinite complexity with every sip.

🔗 Discover more about Farina Wines and their Amarone della Valpolicella at:
🌐 www.farinawines.com

Tags: Farina Wines, Amarone della Valpolicella, Claudio Farina, Elena Farina, Simonit & Sirch