IN BREVE
- Torre di Terzolan is located in Val Squaranto, an area rich in biodiversity and history.
- Founded in 2015 by Roberta Previdi, the estate aims to restore the property’s original agricultural vocation.
- The hypogeum cellar, carved into the rock, connects the 14th-century villa to the farmhouse from the same period.
- Wine production uses amphora to enhance the terroir, complementing wood in the aging process.
- Wine types include a Valpolicella aged in amphora and an elegant Amarone, consistent with the estate’s identity.
Torre di Terzolan is one of the most distinctive estates in eastern Valpolicella. We are in Val Squaranto, a still little-known area with an unspoiled environment and strong geological identity. A zone characterized by great biodiversity and the pronounced calcareous and volcanic matrix of the soils. As early as the 14th century, the Scaligeri, lords of Verona and among the most powerful families in Italy, chose Torre di Terzolan as their hunting estate.
Five centuries later, on the same property, the Florentine cardinal Niccolò Ridolfi, a figure close to the papal throne who died prematurely during a conclave under circumstances never fully clarified, began producing wine and oil. Here, in the 1990s, Roberta Previdi arrived, attracted by the charm of Upper Val Squaranto and the possibility of living in a place where nature, architecture, and history coexist.
A PROJECT BETWEEN HISTORY AND LANDSCAPE
Roberta Previdi founded the estate in 2015, transforming a family connection to the 14th-century villa, which belonged to her husband’s ancestors, into a wine project. The choice was clear from the start: to restore the property’s original agricultural vocation, without forcing it. The estate comprises 3 hectares of vineyard and 6 hectares of olive groves. A limited extension, consistent with an idea of measured viticulture that respects the historical and natural context.
Annual production stands at between 12,000 and 13,000 bottles. The cellar is one of Torre di Terzolan’s most distinctive features. Hypogeum, partly carved into the rock, it dates back to the 16th century and connects the villa underground to the 14th-century farmhouse, now the operational center of organic production.
AMPHORA AS A TECHNICAL CHOICE
Since 2018, amphora has become the common thread of wine production. Not an aesthetic choice, but a technical tool designed to enhance the Val Squaranto terroir, its particular exposure and ventilation, its pronounced presence of white limestone, responsible for natural acidity and sapidity in the wines.
Amphorae do not replace wood, but complement it in the aging process. “Amphora enhances the fruit and respects the minerality of our soils like no other material—explains Roberta Previdi—. It doesn’t subtract anything compared to wood; rather, it completes it, adding freshness and elegance.”
THE WINES AND ESTATE STYLE
Corvina, corvinone, rondinella, and croatina. The traditional grape varieties of Valpolicella. A choice in line with the vision of Roberta Previdi’s father-in-law, who decades ago had already recognized the viticultural vocation of this area. Torre di Terzolan carries forward a personal interpretation of Valpolicella and Val Squaranto.
A vision founded on measure and precision. The range consists of three reds. The Valpolicella Doc is aged only in amphora. The Valpolicella Superiore combines wood and amphora, seeking a more articulated balance. Amarone represents the heart of the project, which finds its keystone precisely in the latest vintage, 2018. Aged at length (up to six years) between barrique and amphora, it immediately impresses with its elegance. Fresh, savory, and vertical both on the nose and palate.
Full and textured, yet without exceeding in the “breadth” and softness that often characterize wines from this part of Veneto. An Amarone, and more broadly a wine line, with a well-defined, distinctive style. Wines that tell in a clear, precise, and intriguing way the identity of Val Squaranto.
