Cà dei Frati

From monastery cellar to the reference of Lugana

As early as 1782, a document recorded what this place on the southern Lake Garda was: a house with a cellar in Lugana di Sirmione, known as the place of the monastery brothers — Cà dei Frati. When Felice Dal Cero, son of a winemaker from Montecchia di Crosara near Verona, took over the estate in 1939, he immediately recognized the potential of these soils and the mild lake climate. Over the decades, the mixed farm of the post-war years was consistently shaped into a winery.

The decisive step forward was taken by Felice's son Pietro Dal Cero: he participated in the creation of the DOC Lugana and bottled the house's first wine in 1969 — initially as "Lugana Casa dei Frati", soon known as Cà dei Frati. Today, Santa Rosa Dal Cero and her children Igino, Gian Franco and Anna Maria continue to manage the winery in the fourth generation, each sibling with their own area of responsibility in the business.

Loyalty to terroir and precise cellar technology

The foundation lies literally in the soil: the calcareous and clayey moraine soils around Sirmione store water, pass on minerality and naturally slow down the ripening of the Turbiana berries. The microclimate shaped by the lake — warm days, cool nights due to the north wind — ensures aromatic complexity. Over 100 hectares of vineyards are cultivated today; each vineyard is harvested separately, the harvest is done by hand in the early morning hours to preserve the freshness and integrity of the grapes.

In the cellar, careful selection is followed by terroir-oriented vinification: the base wines mature in stainless steel tanks on the fine lees — this preserves the clear fruit and gives the wine substance without introducing wood aromas. For the Brolettino, the more structured line, Cà dei Frati relies on aging in barriques for about eight to ten months, which gives the wine depth and aging potential.

Turbiana as the heart, variety as the program

The range revolves around the autochthonous grape variety Turbiana, from which all Lugana wines from Cà dei Frati are produced as single-varietal wines. The I Frati — available in 0.375-liter, standard, magnum and methuselah bottles — shows the varietal profile most clearly: white flowers, apricot and balsamic hints on the nose, on the palate lively acidity, a juicy texture and a clearly salty finish. The Brolettino increases this line in weight and complexity. The Pratto relies on a different register, the sweet wine Tre Filer shows the bandwidth of the Turbiana. The picture is completed by the rosé Rosa dei Frati from the Garda-typical varieties Groppello, Marzemino, Sangiovese and Barbera as well as by the house's own extra virgin olive oil. What connects all products is a standard that has applied for four generations: to bring origin into the bottle without detours.