It is a poetic image of Albino Piona, a family that has been cultivating vines and producing wine for four generations and has been producing wines from the Custoza area for 129 years. Albino, “wine craftsman” as he called himself, personally followed his “paintings”, that is, his wines, from the first shoots on the vines, to the harvest, to the vinification to the bottling, a mastery handed down to the following generations.
Founded in the year 1893
The historical winery was located in the midst of the rolling morainic hills surrounding Custoza, a town rich in history, culture and wine tourism itineraries, near Lake Garda and a few kilometers from Verona, in the center of the production area of Custoza D.O.C. and Bardolino D.O.C. In this landscape, shaped by a mild climate, viticulture has been intertwined with history for centuries.
The new headquarters
It was opened in 2005 and is located at the base of the hill of Custoza, in Prabiano di Villafranca, in Casa Palazzina and is the beating heart of the company. Here tradition and innovation meet thanks to the profuse commitment and renewal wanted by the brothers Alessandro and Massimo, sons of the owner Albino who bears the name of the founder.
The headquarters, immersed in a suggestive context among the vineyards and in close contact with nature, is the center of experiences related to oenology and local gastronomy. It is in this wonderful atmosphere that you will have the pleasure of tasting our wines, combined with tastings of typical “zero kilometer” products.” For the visitor and for the customer are, in fact, available an area for tastings, for food and wine events together with the possibility of taking advantage of guided tours of the cellar.
The company covers 45 hectares, distributed over 4 municipalities: Sommacampagna, Sona, Valeggio and Villafranca. The soil is predominantly morainic, a peculiarity that characterizes the wines produced and that makes them sapid and mineral. In addition to Custoza doc and Bardolino doc, the company also produces a wide range of still and sparkling wines thanks to a long and prestigious history. Divided into whites, reds and rosés, each wine enhances the typicality of both the grapes and the local winemaking tradition. Among these stands out the renowned Verde Piona, sparkling white wine obtained by refermentation in the bottle on the lees without disgorgement.
Dreamed and realized after a series of experiments by Albino Piona himself, the Verde Piona represents a piece of history of our winery.
In the year 2020 the bottle was presented with the historic revisited label, to commemorate the fifty years of history of this unique wine.
We are also proud of our corporate philosophy that operates in total respect for nature. In the countryside, integrated pest management is applied, weeding is not used and in spring the green manure technique is used between the rows of vines which, in addition to balancing the soil, also favors respect for biodiversity. The production, with a “short supply chain”, also allows a fast and precise monitoring on the final product, guaranteeing excellent products in compliance with the rules and our company philosophy.
For more information: Albino Piona
Phots credits: courtesy of Albino Piona