Carlo Nerozzi has been breathing in the country air for over 40 years, because back in 1980 his parents Sergio and Franca decided to change their lives; they moved from the city to Sommacampagna, motivated by a firm desire to improve the quality of their family life.
This daring and important decision was to give rise to Le Vigne di San Pietro, which Carlo helped to found, becoming its owner in 1993.
His commitment is a weighty one, because in addition to taking care of the overall management of the winery, he also takes specific responsibility for commercial aspects. He also revealed that he always tries to be present at tastings, too, to personally accompany guests who come to taste his wines.
As we’re pretty curious, we ask him some questions and Carlo is happy to answer, as he’s always keen to convey a bit of the delight he revels in during his work.

CAN YOU DESCRIBE THE TASTINGS YOU HAVE IN THE COMPANY: WHAT SORT OF ATMOSPHERE IS CREATED?

“Tastings are always dedicated to a single group, whether it’s two or ten people. I always try to be present and help guests to understand the values that underpin a bottle of wine, starting from the most important place: the vineyard. I don’t take the same approach with everyone, though, as I try to understand who I have in front of me and to communicate what really interests my visitors, making them feel at home”.

SO WHY SHOULD WE TASTE YOUR WINES, IN PARTICULAR? CAN YOU GIVE US THREE GOOD REASONS?

His smile leaves no room for doubt: even if the question could have wrong-footed him, Carlo already has a ready answer: “Because they express their terroir of origin, they’re elegant and balanced, and finally because they have a great ability to maintain their character over time”.

Needless to say, he’s already convinced us. We quickly take a look at his wines and between a Bardolino Superiore and a Custoza our gaze settles curiously on a bottle of Refolà, a wine that blends the elegance and strength of Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot. At this point we’re already smiling as we look forward to the inevitable tasting at the end of this intriguing interview.

Carlo explains that for him, wine is a tool of communication, enabling him to come into closer contact with people and express his style. For us, this immediately conjures up images of the great artists who via art, music or writing have communicated to the world a whole array of emotions, thoughts and values that they would not have been able to convey in any other way, and the comparison seems immediately apt.
We carry on chatting and discover that Le Vigne di San Pietro uses traditional winemaking methods, but new experiments are always being carried out and right now, the challenge is tied to a white wine in amphora.

We are curious to understand how the business has evolved, because in over 40 years of work so much has been done.

WHAT DIFFICULTIES DID YOU EXPERIENCE AT THE BEGINNING AND WHAT ARE SOME OF THE SATISFACTIONS YOU ENJOY TODAY?

“At the beginning we had a vision of quality that was not matched by the expectations of a still immature market, unable to understand the authentic value of a wine. Now we have a recognized brand that sees us as one of the benchmarks for the two DOC we produce: Custoza and Bardolino”.

The company’s achievements have increased over time, given that it enjoys an excellent reputation in all national guides and has even met with critical acclaim in a number of international guides. Carlo even neglects to mention that the company has won the Gambero Rosso’s coveted Tre Bicchieri (Three Glasses) award several times and that it was the first company ever to have achieved this milestone for its Bardolino DOC.

It is no coincidence that at the Enjoy, we have chosen Le Vigne di San Pietro as a supplier of our restaurant, prompting a special collaboration to enable our guests to get to know this winery. Carlo explains that when clients of the Enjoy go to visit him, a unique situation is created: people feel welcomed as if they were part of the company and, listening to him, they get to know the company’s history and deepen their understanding of the production techniques of the different wines.

We’re coming to the end of our interview, but we want to see if we can steal some unconfessed secrets. After all, after so many years of work, effort and achievements, perhaps there’s still some project that has not yet come to light. We clear our voices and ask decisively:

WHAT DREAM DO YOU HAVE, PROFESSIONALLY, THAT YOU’D LOVE TO COME TRUE?

Gazing ahead, Carlo responds: “To sell 100% of my wines here in the company, as well as offer a hospitality service with very welcoming suites”.

We wish Carlo all the best and, in the meantime, we make ourselves comfortable for a well-deserved break: that glass of Refolà awaits us!