At the entrance of the Adige valley, at the northern end of the province of Verona, sits the the Monte Zovo winery. For four generations the Cottini family have cultivated grapes on these rolling hillsides, with Carlo Cottini founding Monte Zovo back in 1925, farming both vines and other fruit, as was very much the norm at this time.
In the 1950s, Raffaello, son of Carlo, built his first winery in Fumane, Valpolicella, to concentrate solely upon wine grapes. From this initial 20 hectares, the property has grown to some 140 hectares, with holdings in in eastern Valpolicella, Tregnago, and Sirmione, as well as the Civaie estate where they source the fruit for their Lugana wines.
Over the years, the family has honed their expertise in grape cultivation and winemaking, passing down their knowledge and traditions from generation to generation. Today, management of the estate is still a truly family affair, with Diego Cottini and his wife Annalberta overseeing operations, while their sons Michele and Mattia take care of the winemaking and marketing/communication, respectively.
Diego and Annalberta Cottini flanked by their sons Mattia and Michele, pictured here in the cellars of the Monte Zovo winery.
Over the decades the winery’s portfolio has grown substantially, and today includes a range of red wines, including Valpolicella Classico, Valpolicella Ripasso, and Amarone della Valpolicella, as well as white bottlings such as Soave and Lugana. Monte Zovo also produces a selection of sparkling and dessert wines, including the renowned Recioto della Valpolicella.
A point of particular pride for the family is their “Sa’ Solin” Ripasso Superiore, a single vineyard bottling named for the “little stones/fragments” that make up the well-draining calcareous soil found on very particular slopes of the Lessini mountains, imparting a unique character to the resultant wine. The Sa’ Solin vineyard also happens to be close to the winery’s drying house, where grape must is desiccated and flavours concentrated as part of the Ripasso (translation: re-passing) process.
As well as crafting wines that capture the unique character of the area’s terroir, Monte Zovo remains wholly dedicated to sustainability and environmental responsibility. The Cottinis have implemented a range of intelligent energy saving measures including solar panels, thermal conversion of biomass, a gravity fed production facility, and a complex water management system, in order reduce the winery’s carbon footprint and preserve the natural beauty of the region for generations to come. Monte Zovo was the very first winery in the world to be certified for the use of biodiversity-friendly protocols in accordance with the Biodiversity Friend standards.
As well as this work in the winery, the Monte Zovo vineyards have been producing NQSIP (National Quality System of Integrated Production) certified organic grapes since 2018, with minimal pesticide use and organic manuring management being integral to their stewardship of the land they farm. Monte Zovo also counts itself as an active member of the WRT (Wine Research Team), an organisation dedicated to the use of cutting-edge scientific research to produce better, healthier wines.
The Cottini family utilise the concept of “The 4 letter Cs” to represent the keystones of their eco-sustainable philosophy at Monte Zevo: Care. Consciousness. Constance. Concreteness.
