Valpolicella’s WTA Triumph and the Timeless Allure of Brolo dei Poeti
Valpolicella’s recent recognition as Wine Travel Awards Region of the Year 2025–2026 marks a defining moment for one of Italy’s most historically layered and stylistically diverse wine territories. The accolade, earned through the nomination of the Consorzio per la Tutela dei Vini Valpolicella, underscores not only the region’s viticultural excellence but also its growing commitment to wine tourism – a commitment vividly embodied in one of its most singular estates: Tenuta Santa Maria and its walled vineyard, Brolo dei Poeti.
Set in Arbizzano di Negrar, in the heart of Valpolicella Classica, Tenuta Santa Maria is a property where history, agronomy and craftsmanship converge with unusual coherence. Today guided by the Bertani brothers, the estate has long been regarded as one of the most authoritative interpreters of Amarone. Yet it is the Brolo dei Poeti – a vineyard enclosed by a 3.5‑kilometre wall since the 16th century – that offers the most compelling illustration of Valpolicella’s capacity to unite landscape, culture and wine.
A Clos in the Italian Manner
The Brolo is a rarity in Italy: a self‑contained agricultural microcosm reminiscent of Burgundy’s historic clos. Within its perimeter lie vineyard, woodland, a small lake and water from three Roman springs, still channelled through stone conduits that function even in the driest seasons. This enclosed system has remained intact for centuries, forming one of the oldest examples of a deliberately designed vineyard landscape in the country.
Its name recalls the literary gatherings hosted here by Ippolito Pindemonte in the late 18th century, when poets, artists and intellectuals found inspiration among these vines and shaded paths. Today, the vineyard’s calcareous marl soils, south‑eastern exposure and vines over 35 years old continue to shape a distinctive identity – one that is agricultural, certainly, but also profoundly aesthetic.
A Singular Amarone, Defined by Time
From these plots comes Amarone Classico Riserva DOCG Brolo dei Poeti, produced only in exceptional vintages and aged for an extraordinary fourteen years in large Slavonian oak casks. This is not a stylistic flourish but a necessity dictated by the vineyard itself.
“Fourteen years in cask change a wine in a way that no other aging path can replicate,” notes Giovanni Bertani. “It is what the Brolo requires… a passage of time that can be perceived in the glass.”
His brother Guglielmo Bertani adds: “Slow oxygenation allows the tannins to relax naturally and the aromatic components to integrate with precision. The result is a more measured Amarone, built on definition rather than concentration.”
In a region where Amarone is often assembled from multiple vineyards, a walled cru with its own proprietary clone of Corvina – selected from the oldest vines and preserved as exclusive genetic heritage – is exceptional. This clone diverges from the cherry‑driven profile typical of Valpolicella, offering instead a subtler aromatic signature of strawberry and raspberry that threads through all wines from the Brolo. Rondinella, Oseleta and other indigenous varieties complete the varietal mosaic.
Agronomy as Landscape Stewardship
The Brolo’s woodland contributes to a balanced ecosystem in which vines, water and vegetation interact with unusual harmony. The harvest, carried out by hand, is among the earliest in Valpolicella – an intentional choice to preserve natural acidity and the mineral tension that defines the wine.
Grapes are dried for approximately three months in the historic fruttaio, on cane racks with natural ventilation. The long cask aging then guides a slow evolution, allowing tannins and aromatic compounds to integrate deeply. In the glass, the wine reveals deep garnet colour, velvety tannins and a complex weave of warm spices, cocoa, tobacco and ripe fruit, sustained by a mineral freshness that lengthens its persistence.
Only 3% of Amarone produced in Valpolicella carries the Riserva designation – a measure of the category’s selectivity. Brolo dei Poeti, first released in 2007 and produced only in the finest vintages, reconnects with the historic signature of Amarone from the 1960s: wines built on freshness, tension and precision rather than sheer concentration.
A Landscape Elevated by Vision – and Now by Recognition
The Consorzio per la Tutela dei Vini Valpolicella has long championed the region’s cultural and agronomic heritage, but its recent efforts to enhance the wine‑tourism appeal of estates like Tenuta Santa Maria have been particularly impactful. The WTA award acknowledges not only the region’s wines but also its landscapes, its historical estates, and the thoughtful stewardship that allows places like the Brolo dei Poeti to remain both intact and relevant.
In Brolo dei Poeti, territory and time form a single idea – one expressed through a wine of remarkable rigour and recognizability. As Valpolicella celebrates its WTA triumph, this walled vineyard stands as a testament to what the region does best: honouring its past while shaping a future defined by precision, identity and a profound sense of place.
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