Saturday 20th September saw the official inauguration ceremony for Monteleone21, Masi’s new production, wine tourism and experiential centre in the heart of the Valpolicella Classica region. The ribbon-cutting ceremony was attended by dignitaries, industry organisations, wine producers, the press, and international guests, all invited to celebrate the culmination of a long awaited Masi project, providing not only a symbolic home for Amarone, but also a reference point for the wine culture of the whole region.
Sandro Boscaini, President of Masi Agricola, welcomed the assembled company, stressing the value of the new centre for Masi and for Valpolicella, and thanking architects, partners, and institutions, including the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation Antonio Tajani, who visited the construction site and supported the project from the start.
The ribbon-cutting ceremony was attended by Boscaini, Masi’s CEO Federico Girotto, Elisa De Berti (Vice President of the Veneto Region), Federico Caner (Councillor for Tourism, Agriculture, and Foreign Trade at the Veneto Region), Damiano Tommasi (Mayor of Verona), and Roberto Zorzi (Mayor of Sant’Ambrogio di Valpolicella). A commemorative plaque was erected to mark the spot where the first stone was laid.
The event, compered by journalist Giacomo Borghi, continued with speeches by architect Giovanna Mar, who explained the inspiration and design choices that shaped the architectural complex, and internationally renowned artist Fabrizio Plessi, who presented the site-specific installation “L’Anima dell’Amarone” (The Soul of Amarone). This evocative work, located in the monumental 12-meter-high grape drying hall and open to the public for the next year, presents the essence of the Appassimento technique, the grape drying process that is at the heart of Masi’s winemaking expertise.
The speeches were followed by a round table discussion with “Vino al centro” (Wine at the Centre) as the theme, led by Sebastiano Barisoni (Deputy Director of Radio24 – Il Sole 24 Ore). Participants included experts, institutions, and representatives of the wine sector. Masi’s CEO, Federico Girotto, introduced the meeting: “We imagined this debate with the same spirit as Monteleone21, because the world of wine is evolving rapidly and probably irreversibly. Today, wine must be experienced beyond its dimension as a physical product: it is a symbol and a tool for promoting the region, and its sector needs innovation and continuous evolution.”
A video message from Deputy Prime Minister Antonio Tajani was greeted warmly. He described Monteleone21 as “a courageous initiative that enriches a beautiful region and highlights the great drive and innovation of Italy’s finest products.” He then mentioned the Ministry’s initiatives in support of the wine sector and concluded with a message about the inauguration: “I am certain that Monteleone21 will become a benchmark. A calling card for Verona, for the Veneto, and for Italy.”
The debate explored three subjects. First, the current state of the sector, with a focus on markets, consumption trends and challenges, including international tariffs, with contributions from Giorgio Delgrosso (Head of Statistics at OIV), Giacomo Ponti (President of Federvini), and Luciano Ferraro (Deputy Editor of Corriere della Sera and Wine Expert).
The second subject explored was the topic of tourism and wine tourism, also in relation to the upcoming Winter Olympics, with presentations by Roberta Garibaldi (Professor at the University of Bergamo, expert in the Culture of Wine Tourism) and Emanuela de Zanna (President of the DMO Belluno Dolomiti Foundation).
The last subject was an overview of the Veneto region and its businesses: Federico Caner (Councillor for Tourism, Agriculture, and Foreign Trade for the Veneto Region) and Raffaele Boscaini (Marketing Director at Masi and President of Confindustria Veneto) spoke about the resilience of companies, the strategies put in place to deal with uncertainties (to do with markets, costs and competitiveness), and the importance of forward-looking policies in the promotion of the region.
Closing the debate, with reference to Monteleone21, Raffaele Boscaini said: “Wine and wine tourism today provide strategic opportunities for economic and cultural growth, and a heritage to be promoted and supported in order to generate development for their respective localities. A vision that I believe is well represented by the project that we have launched.”
The evening ended with a sit-down dinner where guests were served Costasera Riserva Amarone and enjoyed a musical interlude from the talented Lorenzo Salvetti of Verona, a finalist in X Factor 2024 who thrilled the audience with his live performance.
About Masi
Masi is a leading producer of Amarone and has always interpreted the values of the Venetian regions with passion. In 2022, Masi celebrated the Boscaini family’s 250th vintage in the prized vineyards of “Vaio dei Masi,” a valley in the heart of Valpolicella Classica (1772-2022).
Masi has a recognized expertise in the Appassimento technique, practised since the time of the Ancient Roman to concentrate color, sugars, aromas and tannins in wine, and is one of the historic interpreters of Amarone. Masi’s president, Sandro Boscaini, comes from the sixth generation of the family that has helped make this wine one of Italy’s signifiers of excellence.
Today Masi produces five different Amarones, the widest and most expertly-made range available on the international market. For nearly fifty years Masi has been engaged in an ambitious project to enhance the value of historic wine estates, working with Conti Serego Alighieri, descendants of the poet Dante and owners of the estate that boasts the longest history and tradition in Valpolicella; with Conti Bossi Fedrigotti, a prestigious Trentino-based winery with vineyards in Rovereto; and the historic château of Canevel Spumanti in the heart of Valdobbiadene, a winery renowned for its premium sparkling wines and part of the Masi group since late 2016.
In 2023, Masi acquired Tenuta Casa Re in Oltrepò Pavese, an area specialising in the production of Pinot Noir grapes to make prestigious sparkling wines. Masi bases its business on social, ethical and environmental values and has a significant production of organic wines, in the Venetian regions, on the Poderi del Bello Ovile estates in Tuscany, and at Masi Tupungato in Argentina.
In line with its heritage, Masi approved the “Masi Green Governance” sustainability project in March 2024, which sees its adoption of the status of Benefit Company and corporate recognition for additional activities for the common benefit, related to social growth and the promotion and enhancement of the culture of the Venetian regions, their people, territory and environment.
