About Le Guaite di Noemi
Le Guaite di Noemi is a tiny estate in the Mezzane valley, on the eastern edge of the Valpolicella, where the Pizzighella family bought the Le Guaite vineyard in 1990 and built its winery in 2002. The vines grow high, at 450 to 500 metres above Mezzane di Sopra on limestone and volcanic basalt soils, Guyot trained at five thousand plants per hectare, and today the house is led by the young Noemi Pizzighella. What defines it most is patience: the wines rest in barrel and bottle for eight to ten years before they are sold.
Prices are for take away and shipping. The wine bar serves from its own list.
The winery
About Le Guaite di Noemi
History
Le Guaite di Noemi is a Valpolicella winery in Mezzane di Sotto, in the Valle di Mezzane on the eastern side of the zone. The story began with the Pizzighella family, who in 1987 bought a small oil mill to press the olives from their hill groves. A few years later they planted vines on the highest part of the hill, a place called Le Guaite.
Around 2002 the vineyards began to produce, and the family started to vinify a small part of the crop under the Le Guaite name. Their daughter Noemi began working in the company in 2010 and has led the winery since 2016.
The land and the vineyards
The vineyards lie in the hills of the Valle di Mezzane, one of the eastern valleys of Valpolicella. Sources put the family land at about 10 hectares of vines. The traditional grapes are Corvina, Corvinone, Rondinella and Oseleta, with some Cabernet Sauvignon and Croatina.
The wines
The estate believes a wine needs many years to reach its full expression, and its approach is built on long ageing. Its Valpolicella wines are released after extended time in the cellar, in some cases up to ten years.
The range includes Amarone, Valpolicella Superiore, Ripasso and Recioto, plus IGT wines such as Tano and Tisbe, and a sparkling Durello. The farm also sells extra virgin olive oil, a reminder of how it all started.
Today
Production is small, around 25,000 bottles a year. Noemi has refreshed the image of the winery while keeping the traditional winemaking. Visitors can book guided tours of the cellar and vineyards, with tastings, and a separate oil mill tour with olive oil tasting.
- Founded
- 1987 (oil mill); first wines around 2002
- Vineyards
- about 10 hectares
- Owners
- Pizzighella family
- Winemaker
- Noemi Pizzighella
- Main grapes
- Corvina, Corvinone, Rondinella, Oseleta