Sartori di Verona - Prosecco that Performs

If there’s one thing we love as much as a good glass of wine, it’s telling the stories that are behind it and Sartori di Verona has been a quiet over-achiever in our midst. A bit of a golden child, it’s filled the glasses of many a kiwi with its phenomenal wines over the years, but without a doubt it’s their Prosecco that has won the hearts of us all so effortlessly.

You’ve very likely tried it, you’ve very likely enjoyed it, so let’s take a moment to honour Sartori di Verona – the Italian powerhouse with a long history of making exceptionally friendly wines.

In those days, horses were the main mode of transportation, and Pietro rode everywhere in his new role as a merchant, determined to find opportunities to expand business – in Verona, in Brescia, on the shores of Lake Garda, and lower Trentino.

After 26 years, his work was paying off and business was booming, allowing Pietro to purchase Villa Maria, complete with vineyards on the grounds and “arele” racks for drying grapes.

A true gentleman devoted exclusively to his profession and his family, Regolo was regarded as a rather talented wine broker with an extraordinary palate. 

Regolo established Villa Maria as the winery’s headquarters in 1947, from which he tirelessl guided Sartori di Verona’s recovery from the WWII Nazi occupation and destruction of the winery and vineyards. 

Regolo used to personally prepare his wines for his customers, who, at the end of the “composition” would affix their signatures on the barrel, confirming their approval of the blend.

The Third Generation – The Growers: 

Sadly, in 1952, Regolo died at just 54 years old. His two young (and grieving) sons – Pierumberto and Franco – rallied together to preserve the legacy of their father and grandfather at just 22 and 19 years old. 

They proved themselves to be worthy heirs with a strong performance in the 1960’s. Sartori released its first official ‘Amarone’ wine and began exports to international markets under the brothers’ keen eyes.

Over the course of his career, Pierumberto found a friend in one Giancarlo Lechthaler, Director of the Cantina Sociale di Colognola. They studied and visited one another and eventually established a bond of mutual esteem. This connection would go on to help the next generation with the Sartori’s ever-evolving quest to define excellence in Italian wines

The Fourth Generation – The Modern Man:

Pierumberto and Franco retired at the turn of the millennium, and brothers Andrea and Luca Sartori stepped up to the fore. The transition coincided with a crucial turning point for Sartori di Verona, with the Sartoris officially joining the Board of Directors of the Colognola ai Colli winery that Pierumberto had sown the seeds for and an excellent foundation for Andrea & Luca to build upon.

This partnership gave the Sartori family the coveted ability to work with over 800 farmers and growers tending 6,200 acres of high-quality grapes in Soave and Valpolicella. Andrea explained,

Sartori’s partnership with Cantina Sociale di Colognola was particularly useful in this growth, and together they were able to start looking at bigger picture goals, including approaching Mauro Braidot of Mont’Albano in Friuli Grave with the vision of focussing on organic cultivation and bringing it to the world.

It also opened the door to bringing on Franco Bernabei, a fifth generation winemaker as a consultant. Franco – a Veneto man born and bred – took on the project because he wanted to work with a family that “paid considerable attention to the history and heritage of Italian wines.”

Andrea’s worldly vision, bolstered by this partnership, has been very successful for the Sartori family and today, Sartori de Verona is one of the few Italian producers who have total vertical integration and self-independence with 2,000 hectares (HA) of vineyards and ever-expanding state-of-the-art production facilities, and its international market represents over 80% of its sales in over 50 countries.

It would be all too easy for such a large producer to stick their head in the sand about being ethical around environmental impacts and social responsibility, but Sartori fervently champions an eco-conscious mindset (which in our opinion, makes their prosecco taste all the more delicious. Notes of apple, acacia and social responsibility perhaps?)

Working with as many brands as we do, we see a lot of environmental statements and declarations. Wineries in both the old world and the new are taking their impacts seriously and we love to see it, but Sartori’s mission is detailed and surprised us in its scope. Their sustainability report and goals span across no less than 29 pages! 

“For us at Casa Sartori 1898, a Sustainability Report is more than just a mere set of numbers and data. It represents much more. It’s a declaration of our love for our work, and our efforts to improve each and every day. But it’s also a declaration of our love for our region, Valpolicella, which continually gifts us the bounty of its extraordinary fruits.”

Aside from investing in and distributing Mont’Albano wines, which are all organic and were pioneers of the movement in the 80’s, Sartori aims to achieve certification across their entire portfolio. They’ve chosen to work toward a Certification in accordance with the SOPD Equalitas

sustainability standard, which encompasses all Sustainability aspects of the wine supply chain: not just the vineyards but the Organisations, Products, and Designations of Origin (SOPD).

Sartori also believes that sustainability isn’t just environmental, it’s a much more holistic and broad concept that encompasses three pillars: environment, society and economy. They explain that by balancing the social, ecological and economic aspects they can ensure their long-term economic viability while respecting and safeguarding important environmental and social values.

“We are aware of the social responsibility current times demand of every brand, and we feel this imperative not as an imposition, but as a duty, and as an opportunity to drive improvements… We think of ourselves as a “human brand”, made up of values, emotions, and connections – and not mere possessors of technical skills and abilities. We are committed to creating friendly, supportive conditions for our people.”

Their efforts have not been in vain. So far,they have;

• Reduced their use of strong disinfectants by 88%
• Reduced their energy consumption by 8.2%
• Reduced their waste production by 66%
• Increased the compensation rate between in and out going employees (thanks to the policies of team increase and renewal) by a whopping 233%
• 100% of energy used in their wine shop is from renewable energy sources

We can be wine nerds and architecture nerds at the same time, right? It’s hard not to be both at Sartori. Villa Maria is the stunning ancestral homestead originally purchased by Pietro when he was starting his journey into wine and remains the Sartori headquarters.

It is a wonderfully refurbished 18th-century residence right out of an Italian story book, set amongst beautiful grounds including a centuries-old park with ancient trees. The original vineyard that came with the property is still producing and the grapes make up the Amarone della Valpolicella Classico Riserva Corte Brà releases.

They host functions at the Villa, with it being a popular wedding and event venue, but they are particularly proud of the cellar tours and tastings they conduct – showcasing the concrete tanks and oak barrels, as well as the beloved drying lofts where they conduct the ancient traditional Appassimento practice.

We know prosecco is an incredibly popular choice for consumers across all channels, and why wouldn’t it be? It’s accessible, food-friendly and very affordable in comparison to the sparkling offerings from other regions. It may very well be the king of quaffers. 

So what are the numbers? In 2021, The Wine Economist reported in their article ‘Anatomy of the Prosecco DOC Boom’ that the volume of Prosecco DOC global sales more than doubled over the previous decade. In this report, Mark Veseth also goes on to emphasize that it’s an impressive feat considering the ‘stagnant market’. Wine consumption globally has not seen dramatic growth at all, and in fact some numbers have it declining slightly, so to maintain growth within the sector is notable. 

“About the only wine market segments that have shown sustained growth have been sparkling wines (especially Prosecco), Rosé wines, and Sauvignon Blanc from New Zealand. Almost all other segments have been relatively flat or down.”

In an article closer to home, NZ Herald’s Business Reporter Aimee Shaw (paywalled) writes ‘Prosecco sales go through the roof – European craze making its way to New Zealand’ in 2020. In it, Shaw analyses data from Neilson that suggests in the 12 months prior, prosecco sales in NZ had increased 40%, which was high even by sparkling standards (which had increased 10% overall in the same period.)

We are aware drinking trends over the Covid lockdown period are generally outliers as people switched up their routines, but it does reflect a trend we’ve been seeing for a while in people choosing to drink sparkling wine more casually than reserving them for wedding toasts and anniversary dinners. 

NZ Winegrower notes the same trend, and points out that an IWSR (International Wine & Spirit Research) report notes that stellar growth stats in the United States might be partially down to a “pent-up demand” for celebrations after the lockdowns of Covid-19, but the trend is largely about changing attitudes, “with the drink moving away from exclusive association with formal events and special occasions, to one that can be enjoyed in more relaxed contexts and more frequently”.

Prosecco may be the ‘it’ product of Sartori portfolio in New Zealand, but their other offerings are definitely worth a try and are a merit-worthy display of the indigenous grape varieties and traditional local winemaking practices that Sartori di Verona strive to do justice to;