Description
Cantina di Gambellara is a cooperative winery founded in 1947, located in the Gambellara commune in Veneto, near the border of Vicenza and Verona. The cooperative now consists of around 300 members farming about 600 hectares, and is known for its volcanic (basaltic) soils which impart distinct minerality to its wines.
Gambellara is easy to overlook on a map of Italian wine country – a small pocket of hills just east of Soave, straddling the border between Vicenza and Verona. But the region has real geological credentials: its vineyards sit on the slopes of a long-dormant volcano, and the dark basalt left behind is widely credited with giving local wines an extra layer of aromatic detail.
Local growers have been organising themselves here since 1920, and by 1947 that cooperative spirit had formalised into Cantina di Gambellara – the first winery of its kind in the province. Close to 400 grower-members now contribute fruit from the surrounding hillsides, making it very much a community winery rather than a single-estate label. While the cooperative’s reputation was built on Garganega — the grape behind Soave and the region’s own Recioto – the Monopolio range is where the winery showcases its sharpest, most food-friendly bottlings, Pinot Grigio included.
About this wine: The fruit for this release comes off vines averaging 25 years of age, planted in iron-rich volcanic and calcareous soil in the hills above Verona. Grapes are picked by hand each October, pressed gently, and given a slow, cold settling period before fermentation — a deliberately unhurried process designed to protect the wine’s natural fruit character rather than push it in any particular stylistic direction. A short spell on lees after fermentation rounds out the texture before the wine goes to bottle.
The result is a pale straw-coloured Pinot Grigio with real aromatic lift — white peach and mango up front, backed by notes of blossom and green apple, with a faint honeyed edge developing on the palate. It’s dry and full without being heavy, finishing long and clean. An easy, versatile style that suits everything from a simple aperitif to a plate of pasta or fish — risotto, spaghetti alle vongole, or lighter white meats all work well alongside it.
Super high quality grigiothat over delivers for the price
Reveiw for 2022 91 points, James Button, Decanter — “Focused and intense with a super-fragrant character.”
RRP $25 Our Special Price $18.99 when you buy 6 or more of this wine.
