Cavalchina Farm

Cavalchina is the name of the area where the company is located, a name that was probably attributed to it because it was the residence of Count Cavalchini. The company is currently led by Luciano and Franco Piona.

BARDOLINO CHIARETTO

The tradition reserves to this wine the sad reputation of being a product of waste, in the sense that it was obtained by bleeding the grapes in order to give the red wine more body.

While this practice increased the quality of red wine on the other side, the Chiaretto suffered for a twofold reason: the wrong harvesting period (to produce a red wine we look for a low acidity in the grapes that does not favor the correct olfactory expression required by a rosé wine) and the impossibility of clarifying the must before fermentation (to be able to perform a drainage it is necessary to wait for the raising of the hat, that is the beginning of the fermentation).

Now to overcome these problems, the grapes destined for the claret are harvested two weeks earlier than the one destined for red wine and after a maceration of 12/24 hours at a temperature of 8/10 ° C, the must obtained for draining natural is clarified and then fermented for 15/18 days at a temperature of 18 ° C.

At the end of fermentation, the wine is immediately removed from the lees to prevent malolactic fermentation.

In this way a fresh and lively product with a typical rosé color is obtained, ideal to accompany light dishes during the summer. The average yield is about 60 hl per hectare.

BARDOLINO

The age of phenolic ripening of the grapes that make up the Bardolino is very late and therefore a particularly favorable climatic trend is needed to make this wine express its full character.

When this happens, one of the most particular products of Italian viticulture is obtained: not excessive in color it offers an intense bouquet of fruits, in particular cherry and morello cherry, tasting evolves in intense spicy notes of pepper with exceptional persistence.

To enhance its characteristics, the grapes, once de-stemmed and crushed, are heated to 28 ° C, the temperature at which they ferment for 72 hours, the temperature is then lowered to 25 ° C for a further 24 hours, therefore, to avoid an extraction excessive tannins proceed to the drawing off.

The alcoholic fermentation ends in 8/10 days after the temperature of 20 ° C, a period in which it usually takes place, the malolactic fermentation. After a brief stop in steel it is bottled in the month of March. The average yield is around 60hl per hectare.

BIANCO DI CUSTOZA

The different maturation periods of the individual vines, early September for Trebbianello, mid-September for Fernanda and early October for Trebbiano and Garganega suggest the separate vinification of the grapes.

The grapes, harvested manually, are placed in crates and then de-stemmed and pressed. Only Fernanda, due to its semi-aromatic character, is macerated for a few hours before pressing. The must, clarified, ferments for 10-15 days at a temperature of about 18 ° C.

The choices relating to malolactic fermentation are made taking into account the seasonal trend and are such as to compensate for any excesses of both softness and acidity. The wines are left in contact with the yeasts until January / February, when the final cuvée takes shape. The average yield is about 65 hl per hectare.