Our vineyard estate spans two distinct locations in Bardolino. Half of our vineyards grace the southwest-facing hillsides surrounding our wine cellar and extending into Valeselle, where the sun exposure creates an ideal microclimate for our vines. The other half lies four kilometers away on a wind-swept plateau in the hills above Affi, where the unique combination of altitude, steady breezes, and soil composition allows our Manzoni to thrive.
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Vineyards in Bardolino around Corte Capitani
In 2001, we began modernizing our Bardolino vineyards, transitioning from pergola to Guyot training systems and planting Cabernet Franc, Oseletta, and Corvina. This shift, along with new clones and rootstocks, increased our density to 5,500-6,060 vines per hectare, yielding 6,000-7,000 kg per hectare depending on variety. We maintain precise vine balance with one square meter of leaf area per kilogram of grapes.
After two decades, we’ve undertaken another major replanting, introducing PiWi varieties across most of our Bardolino fields—a strategic choice that will define Corte Capitani’s future direction.
Vineyards in Bardolino in Valeselle
In 2018, we established a pioneering 1.5-hectare vineyard that marked our first venture into resistant PiWi varieties. We chose Johanniter and Bronner for this experimental plot, adopting our proven Guyot training system at a density of 5,600 vines per hectare. This test field served as our initial exploration of these innovative grape varieties, which are naturally resistant to common vineyard diseases while maintaining high wine quality. The vineyard reached maturity in 2020, when we completed our first harvest, giving us valuable insights into how these sustainable varieties perform in our terroir.
Vineyards in Affi
Our Affi vineyards represent our first venture into white wine production, established through new plantings in 2009 and 2010. The star variety here is Manzoni Bianco, which we selected specifically for this location’s unique conditions. The elevated plateau’s constant airflow creates an exceptional microclimate, allowing our white grapes to develop their characteristic aromatic profile while maintaining crisp, balanced acidity. These environmental factors make Affi an ideal terroir for producing expressive white wines with remarkable freshness and complexity.