Collection: The Wines of Villa Calicantus

In Calmasino, about 100 meters above the eastern shore of Lake Garda, Chiara and Daniele Delaini make their home. What the two are doing in the heartland of Bardolino—a region whose reputation has been justifiably tarnished—is nothing short of extraordinary in its uncompromising nature. Completely unfazed by their colleagues down by the lake, who cater almost exclusively to the tourist crowds with rather conventional ideas, they bottle a small selection of wines that demonstrate both what is still possible in the region and what once was: the ability to combine elegance with depth, and lightness with complexity. Achieving this clearly requires an approach that runs counter to current methods in the moraine-formed hills by the lake: meticulous observation of nature, biodynamic farming, artisanal winemaking at the highest level, and slow aging in wood form the solid foundation of the couple’s philosophy. The results are astonishing, year after year.