From the guest room into the glass: 1878 and the beginnings of the Biscardo family
What stands on the shelves today as Mabis is rooted in a history that reaches far back into the 19th century. 1878 Terenzio Biscardo founded the Cantina Biscardo in the province of Verona — at a time when the family simultaneously operated the inn "Albergo alle Tre Corone" and thus linked wine, hospitality and trade from the very beginning. Terenzio was one of the early drivers of organized wine trade in the Veneto and laid the foundation for supra-regional marketing. His son Luigi expanded the company in the 1950s into one of the most significant wineries in the entire Veneto, invested in cellar technology and bottling, and opened new export markets in Switzerland, England and Germany. In the 1960s, the export of Biscardo wines reached 39 US states.
Today, brothers Maurizio and Martino Biscardo run the winery — together with Maddalena, Martino's daughter, who has joined the business as the youngest generation. From the initial letters of Maurizio, Biscardo, Martino, Biscardo, the brothers formed the name Mabis: an independent line within the family business that carries their common style.
Appassimento as a craft: How Mabis makes its wines
At the center of the Mabis philosophy is the Appassimento method — a process that has been known in the Veneto for centuries and made Biscardo one of its early modern champions. Harvested grapes are dried in a controlled manner after the harvest: water evaporates, sugar, aromas and colorants concentrate. Only then does fermentation begin. The result is wines with greater density and depth, without the need for synthetic interventions.
When it comes to the use of wood, Biscardo acts consciously with restraint: Where barrels are used, they are large-volume containers of 500 or 2,000 liters, which round off tannins without overpowering the fruit. The family manages the vineyards itself in the locations characteristic of the region in the Veneto — including areas of the Valpolicella Classica, from which the autochthonous grape varieties Corvina, Rondinella and Molinara originate.
The Mabis trilogy: Neropasso, Rosapasso and the classics of Valpolicella
The heart of the Mabis range is the so-called trilogy of Neropasso, Oropasso and Rosapasso — three wines that Maurizio and Martino Biscardo have developed as their own signature within the family tradition. The Neropasso Rosso Veronese is an Appassimento red wine based on Valpolicella grape varieties: dark fruit, velvety tannin, palpable warmth in the finish. The Rosapasso Pinot Nero Rosato shows the lighter side of the Appassimento method — a rosé with power and texture instead of fleeting paleness. The Biscardo Valpolicella Ripasso Classico Superiore DOC stands in the long cellar tradition of the family: wine that runs a second time over the pomace of the Amarone and thereby gains structure and fullness.
The range extends beyond the Valpolicella: Soave, Lugana, Prosecco and wines from projects in Apulia and Sicily show that Biscardo purposefully utilizes the qualities of different Italian terroirs without losing the anchor in the Veneto. Serving recommendation for the red wines: 16–18 °C, the Rosapasso slightly chilled at around 12 °C.
