Farina‘s winemaking has always been characterized by a sense of value and a strong identity that over the last twenty years has been reinforced by effective choices in innovation and sustainability, allowing them to introduce well-received and critically-acclaimed milestone crus from single vineyards and original blends. The wines come from carefully selected grapes that are handled with equal care in the cellar.

The heart of the Farina winery maintains its cultural identity and traditions which can be witnessed in the ancient cellar, still used for the maturation of the Amarone wines in the traditional large oak barrels. The modern cellar space is equipped with refrigerated stainless-steel tanks, oak barrels and barrique of varied origin, 75 hl concrete tulips and 30 newly acquired ceramic eggs.

Vinification

When Elena and Claudio Farina ushered in a new era of winemaking at Farina, they entrusted the project to a dynamic young team led by winemaker Andrea Zerman to build on Farina’s legacy. Research, innovation, and sustainability are the three critical elements at the foundation of the choices of new equipment and maturation vessels. The Farina family seeks age-worthy premium wines with structure and purity of expression, where managing oxidation from pressing to bottling is paramount.

Withering

The withering, or "appassimento", is the crucial moment of the vinification in Valpolicella. The process begins with the selection of the intact and healthiest bunches, then carefully placed in plastic trays. It is possible to trace the date and origin of the grapes for quality control. The crates are stored in the innovative fruit cellars which preserve the traditional method of drying the grapes for Amarone and Recioto. The natural ventilation given by the valley breeze is the predominant resource of our appassimento, but in emergency climatic situations an innovative internal conditioning system is automatically activated. The air is thus distributed uniformly, in order to guarantee a homogeneous drying of all the grapes.

Technology and Innovation

Innovations in the winery have been as much about sustainability as they have been about making wines with purity of expression. New vessels like the raw concrete 75 hl tulips or the 650 l ceramic vats offer new avenues for the fermentation and maturation of the wines in terms of quality and organoleptic characteristics. The benefits of micro-oxygenization, the neutrality of the materials, and the low thermal conductivity are all objects of study with the University of Verona’s Enology Department. Minimizing the addition of sulfites has been addressed with bottling equipment that monitors and adjusts dissolved and total oxygen levels.