The Rizzotto family’s winemaking legacy began with a sparkling wine business established by Cirillo Rizzotto, which is still operated by her brother, Luca. Cirillo’s son Guido Rizzotto purchased vineyards from Valda Balestri and began to estate bottle wine in 1994.  Guido’s daughter, Laura, returned to Soave upon finishing university in 2016, and together they have raised this small family estate to the pinnacle of Soave producers.  Laura has since completed the vineyard’s conversion to organic farming while incorporating numerous biodynamic practices.  To complete the circle of fertilization and pollination, Laura and her husband, Frederico, now keep bees and produce their own millefiori (wildflower) honey on the estate. As in any classic winegrowing region, viticulture and winemaking must be directed to transparent expression of the grapes, and of the beautiful steep vineyards in which they are cultivated. Balestri Valda’s wines show the natural richness of the fruit, and the inherent minerality of the dark volcanic soils.