Cantina di Custoza 'Custodia' Custoza Superiore Bianco is straw-colored and presents aromas of exotic fruit and toasted almond accents on the nose.  On the palate, it displays a robust, mineral-rich flavour with a lingering finish.  It's an excellent accompaniment to a variety of dishes, from fresh seafood to meat-based entrees.  Its balanced acidity showcases the complexity of its diverse flavor profile.

About the Producer

The small village of Custoza gives its name to the denomination in the southwestern corner of the Province of Verona, very close to the border with Lombardia. It is famous across Italy as the site of two major 19th century battles of the Italian Risorgimento. This cooperative, situated southeast of Lake Garda, was founded in 1968 and now counts 300 members who farm over 1000 hectares of vineyard. Those of our customers with long memories may recall that we first worked here in 1999 when Matt Thomson made a very good Garganega and what was then called Bianco di Custoza. Matt’s influence is still felt at the winery, for some of the processes he introduced are now overseen by local winemaker Luca Oliosi. Cantina di Custoza formed a recent partnership with Cantina Valpantena, which adds significant oenological capability from Michele Peroni on the winemaking front and, of course, Luca Degani, who has led Valpantena since 1994.

Vineyard and Winery

The vineyards unfold across the villages of Custoza, Sommacampagna and Valeggio sul Mincio, located just southeast of Lake Garda. The Superiore is made from a selection of the best parcels that are naturally lower yielding. The vines are Guyot trained and planted on the morainic hills, whose soils are mainly calcareous, gravelly, sandy and pebbly. Garganega, Trebbiano Toscano, Fernanda and Incrocio Manzoni are the main varieties cultivated here

All grape varieties are picked and crushed separately. Grapes were traditionally soft pressed, and underwent a cold maceration at prior to a slow fermentation at controlled temperatures, around 16°C . Ageing on lees occurred in stainless steel tanks, followed by time spent in medium-sized French oak barrels. The wine is bottled in early spring after harvest.