The history of the farms Guerrieri Rizzardi, committed to the production of both wine and oil from time immemorial, was born from the union of two noble families of counts from Veneto, owners for centuries of lands planted with vine, Guerrieri di Bardolino and Rizzardi di Negrar. Today this company is present with its vineyards and wineries in the four classical production areas of Veronese wines: Bardolino, Valpolicella, Soave, and Valdadige. Countess Maria Cristina Rizzardi manages it alongside with her sons Giuseppe and Agostino Rizzardi. Thanks to her very good insights and an enterprising entrepreneurial spirit, for some decades she has exported all over the world her wines, classified for geographical denominations and produced with traditional cultivation methods and well-established agronomical practices.
Pojega, balance and elegance
The first wine, among the most popular and exported ones, is Pojega, Valpolicella Classico Superiore DOP 2011 Ripasso. Its average estimated yearly production is of about 50,000 bottles. It is a characteristic Ripasso, known for its balance and elegance, coming from the best grapes of the homonymous vineyard. It is generous in its scents, with distinct smells of fruits with dark berries and notes that remind the scent of truffles, has a medium-full body with a perfect balance of ripe fruit. Ripasso, characterized by a DOP (protected denomination of origin), is extremely important in the market, because it allows to guess the quality of the ‘Amaroni’ produced in the company and, at the same time, is itself an exceptional red wine, versatile, accessible, characterized by a high quality. About 70% of this wine, that aims at reaching USA, China, and Japan, is already exported in 27 countries, including Switzerland, Germany, Canada, Netherlands, Ireland, and United Kingdom, and is directly sold by the importers and required by retailers, wine shops, restaurants, and specialists of this sector. Its packaging allows to immediately recognize it. The company invested and continues to invest on this element, in a continuous development that requires both time and commitment: Pojega, packaged in green ml 75, ml 1,500, and ml 5,000 bottles of Bordeaux, boasts the application of artisan labels, many of which are progressively numbered.
Amarone, Soave and Bardolino
The philosophy that the company Guerrieri Rizzardi has always followed up consists in looking for the most suitable vine for every conceived typology of wine, in order to get a product that expresses the highest quality coming from its origin. As a matter of fact, besides Pojega, the most popular wines in the market are cru, coming from single vines and exported in the same areas as Ripasso for 60% of their whole production: Calcarole Amarone Classico DOC, originating from the cru Calcarole, produced in 10,000 bottles per year, whose vintage 2009, that will be marketed from 2014, was nominated ‘Vino Rosso dell’Anno (Red Wine of the Year) in the Italian guide ‘Gambero Rosso 2014’; Villa Rizzardo Amarone Classico DOC (30,000 bottles per year), a blend of the best grapes of the company vines in Valpolicella; Clos Roareti (10,000 bottles per year), Rosso Veronese IGT, originating from Merlot of the vine Rovereti matured in barrel; Soave Classico DOP, coming from the vines in Soave and produced in 25,000 bottles per year; Costeggiola Soave Classico DOP, a cru coming from the vines of Costeggiola in Soave, whose yearly production is of about 15,000 bottles; Munus Bardolino Classico Superiore DOCG (35,000 bottles per year), a special vintage matured in oak and originating from the two oldest company vines of Bardolino; Tacchetto Bardolino Classico DOP, cru Tacchetto vinificated in steel, produced in 20,000 bottles per year.
Wanted: a partner
The brand Guerrieri-Rizzardi, surmounted by the coat of arms of the two originating families, distinguishes all these productions, in Italy as well as abroad. The president Maria Cristina Rizzardi explains: «It is essential to have one’s trademark. Both image and history of the farms are certainly important, but we aim above all at proposing our wines to our potential purchasers so that they can taste them. This is our best advertising. As a matter of fact, in our company we have always pursued quality: we carry out a continuous, careful and rigorous work in our vineyards; in our wineries, then, tradition and technique are expertly harmonized. Our goals for the future? Both increase quality and reputation of our wines, and looking for valid partners in new countries thinking of quality products. We do believe that our products represent one of the best production of classical wines of Veneto and hope that this will be as widely as possible acknowledged».
