Corte Adami

The Corte Adami estate was created in 1984 by father and son Angelo and Andrea Adami. The Adami family had cultivated vines in Soave and Valpolicella for generations, supplying grapes to some of the finest producers in the region. It was only as recently as 2004 that they decided to start making their own wines and, in little more than a decade, they have carved out an incredible reputation both at home and abroad for their Soave, Valpolicella and Amarone. Although 37 hectares of the estate are planted (27ha in Soave, 10ha in Valpolicella), the Adami family sells all but its very finest grapes so as to be free to make the best possible wines without concession to commercial pressures.

Based in Soave, Corte Adami owns a beautiful vineyard amongst the rolling hills of the historic cru of Castelcerino. Here, the predominantly volcanic soil is the perfect home for the indigenous Garganega grape of Soave, and Corte Adami produces several very refined examples of what is probably Italy's finest white wine.

Despite being a different appellation and a different colour of wine, Valpolicella immediately neighbours Soave and Corte Adami also has vineyard holdings here, just a few kilometres to the west of its winery. The Adami's Mezzomonte estate in the village of Ferrazze, at the eastern end of the region, was planted between 1962 and 1970 and it supplies the family with the Corvina, Corvinone, Molinara and Rondinella grapes used for its two Valpolicellas and for its Amarone.

Part of the Adami's ultra modern cellar is given over to the passito (drying) process, where grapes are laid out on trays over the winter to shrivel and raisin for around three months. This gentle dehydration sees the grapes lose about a third of their weight, concentrating the sugar, acidity and flavour of the remaining juice. Used for both red and white grapes for the dry Amarone and for the sweet Recioto Di Soave respectively, these are two Corte Adami wines that you really must try.