Zenato, pioneers in the creation of Lugana, one of Italy’s up-and-coming white wines, recently celebrated fifty years of winemaking with a party at their Lake Garda winery attended by 500 guests from round the world.
Zenato is a family-run company, with 40ha vineyards producing Lugana on the southern shores of the lake and 30ha vineyards producing Valpolicella and Amarone in the prime Sant’Ambrogio di Valpolicella district nearby.
The evening’s celebrations started with the presentation of a book on the family and some fond memories from journalists and importers alike of the company’s driving spirit, Sergio Zenato, whose name is on the top cru wines: Sergio Zenato Lugana Riserva and Amarone Riserva. The company is currently managed by Sergio’s widow, Carla, and his children, Nadia and Alberto.
Alberto Zenato said: “In the last fifty years, the wine world has changed dramatically and intense competition leaves no room for uncertainty on the part of anyone who does this for a living, but the values my father passed on to us are still true today.”
The evening was used by the company to launch a new wine: Zenato Recioto della Valpolicella DOC is a modern take on the traditional sweet dessert red wine of the region.
