Summary
Cantina Zenato on the southern shore of Lake Garda is one of those family estates that has shaped an entire appellation. What began in 1960 as a small operation run by Sergio Zenato and his wife Carla is today a name that stands for two very different wine worlds: fresh, mineral Lugana made from the Trebbiano di Lugana grape on one side – and powerful, long-lived reds like Amarone and Ripassa from Valpolicella on the other. Sergio Zenato is regarded as one of the pioneers of Lugana; he took the long-underrated grape seriously when hardly anyone believed in it. The estate is now run by the second generation, his children Alberto and Nadia Zenato.
History
The estate's story begins in 1960, when Sergio Zenato founded his own winery in San Benedetto di Lugana together with his wife Carla. This was at a time when Lugana was anything but a respected wine – the native Trebbiano di Lugana grape was seen by many as a bulk producer. Sergio Zenato saw it differently. He focused on lower yields, clean work in the cellar and the making of serious, age-worthy whites. In doing so, he became one of the defining trailblazers of the whole appellation.
He was no less ambitious about the neighbouring Valpolicella, where he secured vineyards for the region's great reds. Over the decades, the small operation grew into a house with two pillars. Today his children carry the work forward: Alberto Zenato is responsible for the vineyard and cellar, while Nadia Zenato looks after sales and marketing. The second generation stays true to the father's style – and the top wines still carry his name.
Location & Terroir
Zenato farms around 95 hectares across two separate estates that could hardly be more different. The first is Tenuta Santa Cristina in San Benedetto di Lugana, right in the heart of the Lugana zone on the southern shore of Lake Garda. Around 40 hectares here are planted with Trebbiano di Lugana. The soils are heavy, calcareous and clay-rich – they give Lugana its body, structure and the mineral backbone that sets it apart from lighter lakeside wines. Lake Garda acts as a climatic buffer, softening temperature swings.
The second estate, Costalunga, lies in the Valpolicella Classico near Sant'Ambrogio, in the hilly hinterland between Lake Garda and Verona. Here the region's red varieties grow on limestone- and tuff-rich slopes. The altitude and cooler nights ensure aromatic ripeness and the freshness the reds need – the basis for wines that keep their balance even after the drying process.
Style & Philosophy
The stylistic thread running through Zenato is authentic, regionally typical wine that lets you taste its origin. For Lugana this means pure, precise whites with citrus fruit, herbal spice and salty minerality. At the top end, the Lugana Riserva „Sergio Zenato“ shows that the grape can carry real maturity and depth – a wine that still gains with years in the bottle.
For the reds from Valpolicella, Zenato works with the classic technique of drying the grapes (appassimento). For Amarone, the grapes are dried for months before being fermented dry – the result is a dense, warming wine with notes of dried fruit, chocolate and spice. The „Ripassa“, meanwhile, is a Valpolicella re-fermented on the pomace of the Amarone, gaining body without losing drinkability. Between the freshness by the lake and the power from Valpolicella, the estate spans an unusually broad range.
Notable Vineyards & Wines
The range is clearly divided between the two estates. The most important wines include:
- Lugana – the classic, fresh white made from Trebbiano di Lugana
- Lugana Riserva „Sergio Zenato“ – the mature, denser peak of the white programme
- Valpolicella and Valpolicella Superiore from the Costalunga estate
- „Ripassa“ Valpolicella Ripasso Superiore – perhaps the best-known flagship of the house
- Amarone della Valpolicella Classico and the Riserva „Sergio Zenato“
Above all, the Ripassa and the two Riserva wines named after the founder established the estate's international reputation.
Awards
For decades Zenato has been a reliable name from the Veneto, regularly listed in leading international tastings and wine guides. The „Sergio Zenato“ Riserva wines in particular – both the Lugana and the Amarone – have won multiple honours, including from Decanter. The family name today stands for both: the rediscovery of Lugana on Lake Garda and powerful Amarone class from Valpolicella.