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Location

Our headquarters ViniSoave.it is situated in Monte Riondo, in the municipality of Monteforte d'Alpone in the province of Verona. The Monteforte area produces Soave Classico and Recioto di Soave. It is also one of the municipalities with the highest vine-growing density in Europe. Inhabited since prehistoric times, the town was named after the castle built there, perhaps before the year 1000, on the hills where the Romanesque church of Sant’Antonio Abate stands today (Monsfortis or fortified hill). The castle, built in the 12th century, was owned by the family of the Counts of San Bonifacio, however, in 1135 they handed it over to the bishops of Verona, who became the actual owners in 1207 in exchange for the territorial jurisdiction of Tregnago and other localities.

Hence, an important period governed by the Bishops began for Monteforte: it led to a temporal vicariate that had the task of exercising civil justice and enforcing the good order and administration of the community. This historical period continued until the fall of the Venetian Republic towards the end of the 18th century. In 1811, Monteforte became the capital town of Cantone VIII, bringing together Brognoligo and Costalunga, which had been autonomous municipalities since 1200.

The hill of Monte Riondo, where we are situated, is right in the middle of the Soave Classico area, an amazing winemaking area of vineyards. Here, in what is rightly called the largest vineyard in Europe, since the vineyards are seamlessly adjacent, the Garganega white native grape variety is grown, which has been used for centuries to make Soave.

In this area, nature has been particularly generous, creating splendid hills of volcanic origin, such as the one our headquarters are situated on, where the diversity and complexity of the minerals present deeply influence the wines produced. In an area of strong contrasts, the most obvious can be seen in the relationship with the black volcanic soil, which produces excellent white wine. In spring and autumn, the landscape offers a range of extraordinary colours.

To directly collect or purchase the products ordered from our headquarters, you can get to us by taking the Montebello exit on the A4 motorway when arriving from Venice, Padua and Vicenza, or by taking the Soave/San Bonifacio exit when arriving from Milan, Brescia and Verona.
After leaving the motorway, follow the road signs to Monteforte d'Alpone. After going through the town, you will find us in the locality of Monte Riondo, at number 5.
We kindly ask you to give us prior notice of your arrival and, if possible, let us know in advance which products you are interested in or intend to purchase so that we can get organised and prepare the wines you require.
We cannot guarantee immediate availability at our headquarters of all the products on our website, since there are hundreds.
When you reach our headquarters, we can give you some suggestions for a beautiful walk among the vineyards of the Soave Classico area.
Below, we describe a few places to visit and an itinerary starting from our headquarters.

Places to visit at Monteforte d'Alpone

The Romanesque church of Sant’Antonio Abate, built on the ruins of the ancient castle, dates back to the end of the 1200s. It was restructured and enhanced with a 16th century wooden Christ, now housed in the parish church, and an elegant Baroque altar. In the 14th century, the church of Santa Croce was built, which preserves frescoes dating back to the 1300s and 1600s, as well as the frescoed church of Santa Maria Fossa Dragone, also known as Santa Maria dei Cappuccini, since it was part of a monastery that fell into disuse in 1769. In the 15th century, commissioned by the bishop of Verona Ermolao Barbaro, the architect Michele da Caravaggio designed Palazzo Vescovile in elegant Venetian style. Inaugurated in 1471 after 18 years of works, it has a cloister with an artistically significant double loggia, a well and a courtyard. In the chapel, we can find a Nativity of Mary, a fresco painted by Francesco Torbido in 1534. The Baroque altar was put into place a century later. Palazzo Comunale, designed by the architect Bartolomeo Giuliari, was built during Napoleonic rule from 1811-1813. It houses interesting paintings by Felice Brusasorzi, Giovanni Camuzzoni and Pietro Rotari. Built according to a project by the architect Bartolomeo Giuliari, the parish church of Monteforte, inaugurated in 1816 and dedicated to Santa Maria Maggiore, houses the “Samaritan woman at the Well”, a precious canvas by Girolamo Dai Libri and a “Visitation”, by Giovanni Caliari, as well as a wooden statue of the “Madonna del Drago” dating back to the 15th century. In Via IV Novembre in Monteforte, an interesting place is the contrada Rubian, an ancient rural village. At Brognoligo, the Corte del Durlo, a rural residence with a well and a dovecote, was built in 1500. Around 1650 in Costalunga, the counts Buri built their manor house, now known as Villa Tessari, frescoed in 1700.

The itinerary starting from our headquarters

The route of the ten shrines is a circular one. It is about 8 kilometres long and winds through the beautiful vineyards of the rural area around and above Monteforte d'Alpone. Open all year round, it is marked by wooden signs, with additional information that timely indicates the names of the shrines, or aediculae, which you can see along the route.
From Monte Riondo, you head towards the rolling hills that surround the Val Ponsara and separate Monteforte d'Alpone from Soave. The peaceful walk will be highlighted by ten stops, at the ten shrines dedicated, in order, to the following: Madonna con Gesù (Madonna with Jesus), San Pietro, Sacra Famiglia (holy family) (also known as Capitel del Foscarin), Madonna con Bambino (Madonna with Child), San Vincenzo Ferreri (protector of vineyards against hail), Bassanella, San Giuseppe, Cristo in Croce (Christ on the Cross), Regina Pacis and San Rocheto. The walk takes you from Piazza Venturi at an altitude of 38 metres above sea level to the third shrine "Capitel del Foscarin" at 201 metres.

• - The small simulacrum of the “Madonna della Ponsara”, which gets its name from the miraculous apparition to a shepherd.
• - Once you reach the vicinity of the third shrine, Sacra Famiglia (Capitel del Foscarin), the highest point of the walk, you can stop and admire breathtaking views of the surrounding nature.