Cecilia Beretta was established in the 1980s, on the eastern edge of Valpolicella, integrating the prized Mizzole and San Felice vineyards owned by Pasqua since the 1940s. The estate was named after the daughter of Conte Giuseppe Berretta, a seventeenth-century agronomist and poet, who was one of the first female art patrons of the time. Meant as a centre of oenological and viticultural research, Cecilia Beretta’s wines have since become an expression of some of Italy’s most idiosyncratic terroirs and grape varieties.
Committed to the future
While the founding ethos remains the same, Cecilia Beretta has also developed another key focus, sustainability, with the implementation in the last two decades, of multiple key viticultural, winemaking and operational best- practices. Among them is the conversion of all vineyards to organic and the use of light-weight bottles for 53% of the estate’s wines.
These efforts culminated in 2021, with the attainment of the Equalitas certification, an international sustainability standard that covers all aspects of the company’s operations, including but not limited to management of natural resources, transparency, social responsibility and good governance. These strategic actions support the hard work and craftsmanship of Cecilia Beretta’s winemaking team, led by Carlo Olivari, and particularly of Graziana Grassini, one of the first female Italian winemakers, heir of renowned master Giacomo Tachis. Grassini was tasked with the refinement of some of the estate’s iconic references, including the single-vineyard ‘Mizzole’ Valpolicella Superiore DOC and the ‘Picàie’ Veneto Rosso IGT.
About Pasqua Wines
Founded in 1925, Pasqua Wines has, throughout its almost 100 years of history, become one of the leading ambassadors of Veneto wines, recognised across the world for the character and consistency of its range. With vineyards in Valpolicella and Soave, the company has become an example of quality-led commercial success, producing some of the most recognisable bottles hailing from the two regions. Now with second-generation Umberto Pasqua at the helm of the company alongside his sons Riccardo and Alessandro, Pasqua has built upon decades of experience and deep understanding of the regions’ terroirs to define a modern identity that combines tradition, innovation and creative outlook. Cecilia Beretta stands out in Pasqua’s portfolio as on its flagship ranges.
Terre di Cariano Amarone della Valpolicella Classico Riserva DOCG 2016
One of the wines that best conveys the ethos of Cecilia Beretta is the Amarone della Valpolicella Classico Riserva DOCG Terre di Cariano, of which the 2016 vintage has recently been released, following a stellar performance at this year’s Decanter Wine World Awards with a 95-points nod from the judges. A blend of Corvina (60%), Rondinella (25%), Corvinone, Croatina and Oseleta (the latter three making up the remaining 5%), harvested by hand and dried for three months in a traditional fruttaio, the wine has a trademark complexity and aromatic depth.
The richness and powerful structure are perfectly balanced by a refreshing acidity. Hailing from a single village – San Pietro in Cariano – the wine is a reflection of both the personality of that terroir and of the craftsmanship of Cecilia Beretta’s winemaking team.
Available in the UK through Corney & Barrow.
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