A beehive in every vineyard: how Allegrini Wines protects nature

"The subject of biodiversity came up at the company in 2017 when nobody was talking about it and also somewhat coincidentally. At the time, we had a photographer who was doing a shoot in our vineyards. It was he who pointed out to us that a myriad of insects and other small animals were living among the rows. That's how we started to catalogue them and started our sustainability project that has now culminated in the Biodiversity Friend certification, which is a spin-off of the more general Equalitas sustainability certification".

Talking about the start of the biodiversity reflection for Allegrini Wines, one of the leading Amarone della Valpolicella wineries, today is the CEO, Francesco Allegrini. "The protection of biodiversity, therefore, is a project that for us is already years old," continues Allegrini, "and it is favoured by the fact that we have an important extension of vineyards (about 150 hectares, 105 owned and another 45 leased) in turn surrounded by meadows, arable fields, dry stone walls (which also favour the spread of microorganisms) olive groves and wooded areas. But perhaps the most important certification is that linked to the strong presence of bees and pollinating insects on the estate. Every single vineyard is in fact endowed with its own beehive, from this year we will also start producing our own honey, and all this has now also led us to obtain Beekeeping certification.

The theme of biodiversity for Allegrini Wines intersects with the more general one of sustainability for at least another couple of chapters. We are convinced that some of our other choices in terms of ESG also have an impact on the protection of biodiversity," adds the CEO. "I am thinking of the cut we are carrying out in terms of phytosanitary treatments in the vineyards, which in addition to allowing us to bring healthier grapes to the winery, also favours the conservation of biodiversity. But I think there can also be further positive effects with the increasing use in the vineyards of water from the company wells that we are recovering. Just as important is the work we are doing with the vineyards on high ground. Our vineyards are located between 320 and 520 metres above sea level. An altitude that is quite unusual in Valpolicella. We were among the first to plant vines at those altitudes and today, against a backdrop of climate change, this gives us a competitive advantage over others. Another important step will be the completion, we hope in 2028, of our new winery with high technology and very low environmental impact designed with a view to strengthening wine tourism".

In 2024, Allegrini Wines produced 2.3 million bottles (of which 850,000 on the market under the Allegrini label and the rest under the Corte Giara brand) and recorded a turnover of 20 million euro, 50% of which was achieved on foreign markets (with the USA in first place followed by the UK and Germany).