HOSPITALITY AT TENUTA SANTA MARIA IN THE HEART OF VALPOLICELLA CLASSICA: VISITS AND TASTINGS ALL YEAR ROUND, BETWEEN VISION AND TRADITION

At Tenuta Santa Maria, hospitality follows the rhythm of wine and takes shape in the production areas. In the heart of the Valpolicella Classica region , the estate offers a rich program of tours and tastings, open year-round , that takes visitors through the historic winemaking spaces: from the fruit storage rooms to the cellars, all the way to the walled vineyard. These tours offer direct access to one of the most historically representative winemaking estates in the area.

A place where everything begins with wine and every element takes shape around it: an architectural complex developed starting in the 16th century and expanded in the 18th century, where the cellar, villa, walled orchard, fruit cellars, chapel, and park still define a whole designed to accompany the vine and wine throughout their natural cycle. Hospitality is fully integrated into this vision.

The neoclassical villa is an integral part of the estate, conceived as a harmonious balance between productive function and monumental value. The 18th-century complex, completed by Adriano Cristofali based on a design by Lodovico Perini, includes, in addition to the central body and side wings, the chapel of San Gaetano and the cellar entrances. The façade, along with the statues attributed to Lorenzo Muttoni, expresses the connection between architecture, landscape, and winemaking.

Inside, the Hall of the Muses , decorated by Prospero Pesci and Giuseppe Valliani, recounts the cycle of nature and the vine. The rooms were also home to Ippolito Pindemonte's literary salon, leaving a cultural legacy that is still present today.

Behind the villa lies one of the first English-style parks in the Veneto region , inspired by Ippolito Pindemonte 's direct experiences in the United Kingdom and conceived, in the spirit of Francis Bacon, as a place of quiet, contemplation, and intellectual activity. The landscaped area features centuries-old trees, some of which are exotic varieties, a pond whose shape recalls that of nearby Lake Garda, and the chalet, Kaffeehaus , of the Brolo dei Poeti . The historic vineyard of the same name is also located here, where the Bertani family values the soils, microclimates, and native grape varieties, including an ancient Corvina clone alongside Oseleta and Rondinella .

Every year, over 15,000 visitors from around the world choose to visit the iconic Tenuta Santa Maria estate. Brothers Giovanni and Guglielmo Bertani , sons of Gaetano Bertani , one of the founding fathers of modern Amarone, lead a company where the quality of hospitality stems directly from the location and the very criteria of production.

“Opening Tenuta Santa Maria to the public was a natural choice, one that matured over time,” says Giovanni Bertani . “We felt the need to share places that tell a centuries-old story: the cellar, the fruit storage rooms, the walled orchard. Welcoming people here means allowing them to enter an agricultural and cultural heritage that has remained intact, alive, and continues to produce.”

Guglielmo Bertani emphasizes the value of direct storytelling: "Wine needs time, and time to be understood. Visiting the places where it is born, seeing the cellar and the vineyards with your own eyes, helps you understand wine more consciously. For us, this is hospitality: offering the opportunity to understand where our labels come from, even before tasting them."

Tenuta Santa Maria's guided tours are designed as immersive journeys to discover Valpolicella's landscape and tradition, with an itinerary that winds from the villa and the Salone delle Muse to the orchard, from the historic vineyards to the park, up to the fruit storage rooms, the barrel room, and the monumental cellars. Each stop offers a direct connection with the place and the work that creates the Bertani family's labels.

The heart of the experience is the three-level cellar, organized according to a gravity-driven system: drying on the upper level, vinification in the middle, and aging on the lower levels, in a natural process that enhances the raw material. The grapes destined for Amarone rest on traditional racks with spontaneous ventilation, following an entirely natural practice that is unique in the Valpolicella region and is now at the heart of the UNESCO nomination for the Valpolicella appassimento ritual .

The tour concludes with a guided tasting of the main labels, the final synthesis of an experience that brings wine culture back to the forefront.

The routes

Tradition: offers an introduction to the Estate's winemaking style and the main Veronese appellations, with a tasting of four wines: Lepiga Soave DOC, Valpolicella Classico Superiore DOC, Valpolicella Ripasso Classico DOC, and Amarone della Valpolicella Classico Riserva DOCG.

Selection: offers a more detailed insight into the different production expressions, with a tasting of six wines: Lepiga Soave DOC, Torre Pieve Chardonnay IGT Verona, Valpolicella Classico Superiore DOC, Valpolicella Ripasso Classico DOC, Amarone Classico Riserva DOCG and Decima Aurea Merlot IGT Verona.

Private visits and in-depth itineraries

Private experiences, led by a dedicated sommelier in private rooms, allow for a more in-depth and personalized exploration of the relationship between wine, the terroir, and the Estate's history.

Historic Terroirs: a focus on territorial identity and stylistic evolution, with a tasting of five wines and a comparison of vintages, including a current and a collection version of Amarone Classico Riserva DOCG.

The Signature Crus: a journey through the Bertani family's crus and selections, featuring six wines and a comparison of two vintages of Decima Aurea Merlot IGT Verona.

Amarone Vertical: an itinerary focusing on the evolution and longevity of Amarone, featuring Valpolicella Classico Superiore DOC, Valpolicella Ripasso Classico Superiore DOC, and a selection of Amarone Classico Riserva DOCG, Amarone Brolo dei Poeti 2007, and Recioto della Valpolicella Classico DOCG.

The Century of Amarone, 1928 Vintage: An exclusive journey through the history of Amarone, with a tasting of seven wines, including the Acinaticum 1928 Riserva di Famiglia, considered the forefather of modern Amarone, and a closing Recioto Classico.

The Poets' Pavilion, Wine Dialogues in the Romantic Park: Experience the historic park, in the Brolo dei Poeti chalet, with a tasting of Lepiga Soave, Torre Pieve Chardonnay, Valpolicella Classico Superiore, Valpolicella Ripasso Classico Superiore, and Amarone Classico Riserva, with the option of adding Amarone Brolo dei Poeti 2007.

The events

Tenuta Santa Maria hosts private and corporate events, weddings, lunches, and dinners in a setting where architecture, wine, and landscape coexist naturally. Each experience is tailor-made, from the décor to the food, respecting the estate's historic and productive identity.

Over time, it has established itself as a premier location for corporate meetings, presentations, and conventions, welcoming national and international companies. The villa, park, Brolo dei Poeti (Poets' Garden), monumental cellars, and frescoed rooms offer versatile settings for customized events.

The Estate's strong visual identity also makes it a popular location for photo shoots, advertising, and audiovisual productions, helping to convey an authentic image of Valpolicella.

In this balance between heritage and contemporary vision, the Bertani family defines a model of hospitality where the quality of the welcome coincides with the authenticity of the place : a living agricultural estate, a historic cellar, a monumental residence, and one of the great winemaking legacies of Valpolicella. The estate is open year-round, with the sole exception of major holidays. This continuity is rare in Valpolicella, reflecting the same productive and cultural consistency that has characterized Tenuta Santa Maria for centuries.

Info and reservations: tenutasantamaria.wine