Valentino and Francesco

I Stefanini is the 20-hectare (50 acre) farm owned by the Tessari family in the heart of the Soave zone. The property has been in their hands since the 1950s. Young Francesco is the winemaker, his father Valentino is the vineyard manager (agronomo). About 10 hectares are under vine, while olive and fruit groves cover the rest of the property.

The Tessaris' best wines, Monte de Toni and Monte di Fice, are crus which come from the vineyards rising on a volcanic hill directly behind the family's house and cantina. Even il Sèlese, the basic wine from the lowlands nearby, shows the quality of the fruit and the skill of this down-to-earth father-and-son team. Total wine production is 60,000 bottles a year.