It was on the shores of Lake Garda that I had the pleasure of meeting Mattia Vezzola, one of Italy’s greatest winemakers. With 51 years dedicated to sparkling wines (having been the winemaker at Bellavista for 40 years) and a profound sensitivity towards nature, Vezzola has managed to find the balance between technology and craftsmanship, producing wines that highlight the unique characteristics of this region, one of the few in the world suited to the production of rosé wines, alongside Provence in France.

“Vocational suitability is no small thing,” the winemaker and producer immediately states. These few words reveal that behind his extensive experience in winemaking is a man who has learned the value of patience and the importance of his roots.

The value of craftsmanship

At Costaripa, a winery with roots dating back to 1928, the winemaker has infused years of experience, creating a legacy destined to endure, much like his wines. In these spaces, designed in harmony with the surrounding territory, craftsmanship and artisanal wine production are celebrated. Every stage, from pruning to harvest, is carried out by hand, ensuring deep respect for the land and traditions. Vezzola’s philosophy is reflected in his wines, which embody timeless elegance and a quality that transcends passing trends.

“Craftsmanship is a tribute to imperfection, a continuous quest to improve one’s feelings through the ancient gestures of the hands. I believe that craftsmanship and artisanship maintain the ties of sensitivity to the land,” says Vezzola. In line with this principle, Costaripa adopts a fully manual viticultural management approach, with a biodynamic vision of the soils, traditional pruning, strictly hand-harvested grapes, and manual remuage for the classic method.

Mattia Vezzola’s sparkling wines

Vezzola, a master of the classic method, has revolutionized the production of sparkling wines in the Lake Garda area. With vineyards of Chardonnay and Pinot Noir cultivated on the hills of Valtènesi, he has created cuvées that blend innovation and tradition. His sparkling wines, characterized by delicate effervescence and harmonious structure, celebrate special moments and share the joy of life. Each cuvée combines at least 40 different wines, maintaining consistent quality and sensory profile year after year.

“High-quality sparkling wines typically contain 13 million extremely fine, delicate, and lightweight bubbles,” Vezzola explains. “These are self-celebratory wines, meant to be opened and enjoyed in good company and when in love”.

Mattia Vezzola

Valtènesi Rosé: elegance and longevity

Descending into the Costaripa cellar, we find a naturally temperature-controlled environment where the wines rest in small white oak barrels, enhancing their ability to age gracefully. Costaripa’s wines are expressions of indigenous grape varieties such as Groppello, Marzemino, Sangiovese, and Barbera. The dedicated vineyards are selected only in the sun-exposed foothill areas. The hand-harvested grape clusters are brought to the winery, where the must remains in contact with the skins to achieve maximum quality extraction. The must is then separated from the skins by gravity, concentrating the yields only on the noblest part of the grape, according to the traditional “Vinificazione a Lacrima” method.

“To make great rosés, you need to think about Champagne because fundamentally rosé, like Champagne, is the result of blending, of cuvée. You must vinify each vineyard separately,” says Vezzola. When he built the new winery, he had space for 30 stainless steel tanks to micro-vinify rosés. For him, the classic method and rosé are exactly mirrors of each other.

Tasting

Rosamara: A finely crafted rosé that combines the four grape varieties grown in the lakeside vineyards, immediately offering a sensation of lightness and silkiness. Its color is a captivatingly delicate pink, almost pearlescent, revealing the refinement of an exceptionally soft and attentive winemaking process. The aroma is inviting, with subtle spiciness and fruity notes. Its richness unfolds into a savory persistence with a slight bitter almond note on the finish. Simply stunning.

Molmenti: This wine provides deep satisfaction, surprising with its depth. It is the result of Vezzola’s forward-thinking choice in 1992 when he decided to link the value of time with a rosé wine dedicated to Senator Pompeo Gherardo Molmenti. The grapes come from a 60-year-old vineyard, and the wine undergoes a long maturation of 2 years in barrel and 3 years in bottle. A vibrant and highly emotional experience.

Mattia Vezzola Brut Rosé: This sparkling wine captivated me immediately. Vezzola’s love affair with sparkling wines began in 1972, during his first trip to the Champagne region. There, he understood the value of the symbiosis between tradition and innovation and set the course for his sparkling wine vocation. Thus, the idea of an “ancient” classic method was born, seductive and feminine in elegance and harmony, refined and soft, with a persistent and extremely fine effervescence, almost reminiscent of the lightness of a silk scarf.

A land of history and beauty

Beyond viticulture, Lake Garda offers a rich panorama of history and culture. The Vittoriale degli Italiani, the home-museum of Gabriele D’Annunzio, is a must-visit, nestled in beautiful gardens and offering breathtaking views of the lake. The Island of Garda, with its neo-Gothic Venetian palace and lush gardens, represents an oasis of peace and beauty.

Interview with Mattia Vezzola:a benchmark in the global wine scene

What does dedicating your life to the classic method here in Valtenesi mean to you?

To produce a classic method wine, you use your hands, your heart, lightness, and above all, communication. You store images and emotions that are all translated into a glass. When you see the bubbles rise, they brighten up your day and the moment you’re experiencing.

After 51 years in sparkling wine, what would you keep and what would you change?

I would keep the lightness, the smoothness, and the silk scarf-like quality. What I would change is that these wines should not become trends: opening a bottle of high-quality sparkling wine is a way to communicate the joy of sharing. Wine, like bread, expresses the pleasure of sharing.

Is there a toast that you particularly remember?

Definitely the toast with Pavarotti! Luciano was a great friend, a wonderful person. Opening a bottle with him, looking at the sea while enjoying a plate of spaghetti with tomato and basil, are unforgettable moments.

What does it mean to you to give value to the rosés from this area?

We started in 1986 by planting red grape varieties with the goal of making rosé. It’s a lifetime dedication, not marketing. We love this work and this territory, which has a great vocation for rosés that we call Valtenesi Rosé. They represent a way of life and lightness. You don’t need to be extremely wealthy, but charming, intelligent, and loving towards others.

What is the greatest satisfaction of your career?

Probably being able to contribute with our wine to the heart transplants of two children. In 1999, the Christiaan Barnard Foundation, together with Princess Diana, decided to dedicate a red wine to humanitarian research for children with severe heart problems. The proceeds from the ‘Christiaan Barnard Foundation’ wine allowed two children to receive new hearts. Today, this wine is named Campostarne.