Ambrogio and Giovanni Folonari winery

The Winery History

The origins of the Ambrogio and Giovanni Folonari winery and the family date back to the distant 1700s when Lorenzo Folonari, born in Valtellina, moved the family to Val Camonica, where he founded his first winery; in 1882 the brothers Italo and Francesco Folonari took over the company and 10 years later purchased the historic Tuscan winery, Ruffino.

In the early sixties, Nino Folonari, son of Italo, purchased two estates in Greve in Chianti, the Tenuta del Cabreo and the Tenuta di Nozzole and began to produce quality wine, putting quantity in the background.

In the year 2000, Ambrogio and Giovanni Folonari, respectively son and grandson of Nino, founded the Ambrogio and Giovanni Folonari Tenute five estates owned by them distributed in the areas most suited to wine production in Tuscany. Following Nino’s wishes, Ambrogio and Giovanni are carrying out a project to revalue the territory and its diversity. They decide to invest in the estates and produce quality and elegant wines with character strongly linked to the territory.

The Family

The company Ambrogio and Giovanni Folonari is entirely family-run. Giovanni and his father are the President and Honorary President. Giovanna Cornaro is the wife of Ambrogio and is responsible for the accommodation facilities; she has overseen the redevelopment of the estates. Francesca and Angelica are the sisters of Giovanni and are responsible for the management and development of the hospitality facilities. In short, a large family that works in harmony to promote the territory.

The Estates

Tenuta di Nozzole

It is located in Greve in Chianti and is the sub-zone of Chianti Classico, with soils rich in clay and marl and a continental climate. Here we can find a farm dating back to 1300 with 385 hectares of land of which about 90 are vineyards and 15 are olive groves.

Tenute del Cabreote Folonari.

This estate was purchased by Nino Folonari, Giovanni’s grandfather, in 1967, and extends for about 60 hectares of which 45 are vineyards of Sangiovese, Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot, the rest are woods. The estate also houses the wine cellar and the historic Cabreo barrel cellar. There are also two facilities for guests who want to stay in the area.

Tenuta Campo al Mare

This estate extends for about 30 hectares and is divided into six production units distributed in the areas with the highest wine-growing vocation of the Bolgheri territory. The parcels near the Tyrrhenian Sea with their sandy soils are ideal for the production of Vermentino; the parcels in the highest production area of Bolgheri are planted with Cabernet Franc expressing its most important characteristics. Each parcel, depending on its position, is dedicated to a single type of grape.

Tenuta la Fuga

La Fuga is the smallest estate of the family group, with 9.8 hectares of vineyards and about 2 hectares of olive groves. The vineyards of Tenuta la Fuga are divided into three parcels that range from an average age of about 30 years to the youngest of 10 years. In this estate, we also find a farmhouse spread over three levels: in the basement, there is the winemaking cellar, on the intermediate level the barrel room while on the first floor the farmhouse with the terrace overlooking the surrounding panorama.

Vineyards in Porrona

We are in Maremma; the estate extends for 25 hectares and produces high-quality grapes. Situated at an altitude of 350m above sea level, here we find Sangiovese vineyards but also international grapes such as Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon and Syrah.

Tenuta TorCalvano

This estate is located between Valdichiana and Val d’Orcia, in the province of Siena; it is an area dedicated to quality Sangiovese for over 300 years. It is here that quality Montepulciano is born.