The Endricis have always been winemakers and lawyers. Paolo Endrici combines both of these family traditions. This makes him the ideal person to represent his home region of Trentino as president of the wine consortium’s marketing commission.
For lawyer Paolo Endrici and his wife German architect Christine, continuing the family winery – founded in 1885 – into the fourth generation was a heartfelt endeavour. They had a dream of making Endrizzi wines from Masetto wellknown throughout the world for their elegance and quality.
Career-changers have a reputation for bringing fresh air to a winery because of their open-mindedness, and that certainly applies to Paolo and Christine; however, others in the family were the real revolutionaries. Right from the outset when they set up the winery, Francesco and Angelo Endrici broke the rules by planting the Bordeaux grape varieties Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Cabernet Franc, a first for Trentino. The brothers also thought far beyond their immediate environment when it came to distribution, establishing branches in Prague, Belgrade, Vienna and St. Magrethen in Switzerland before World War One.
The Endricis still benefit from this pioneering spirit today, enabling them to produce a wide range of wines. Cabernet in particular has proved to be an ideal grape variety for the Masetto terroir, which is characterised by its proximity to Lake Garda, its Mediterranean temperatures and a fresh breeze from the Dolomites. Masetto DUE, a blend of the indigenous grape variety Teroldego and globetrotter Cabernet Sauvignon, captures the diversity of the Endricis. And the fifth generation has also already left its mark on the winery; Lisa Maria and Daniele, Paolo and Christine’s children, have been able to put into practice the knowledge they gained studying in Geisenheim and Bordeaux.
The Masetto wine range, named after their home town, is a particularly good example of how the Endricis renew traditions, while at the same time striving to bring progress to Trentino. The flagship wine, Gran Masetto, is traditionally made entirely from Teroldego grapes. However, a new feature is that the grapes are now partially dried, something no-one had ever attempted before with Teroldego. This innovative spirit has been rewarded with numerous awards, including the Grand Gold award for their 2007 vintage at the MUNDUS VINI wine competition.
Today, the Endricis are an Italian/German family success story. Christine’s brother, Thomas Kemmler, has also caught the wine bug and plays a more important role in the family business than simply running the German branch. Just like their pioneering predecessors, the fourth and fifth generation also look beyond their boundaries. In the year 2000, in conjunction with Thomas Kemmler, the Endricis acquired the Serpaia di Endrizzi winery in Tuscany. They breathed new life into the 30 hectares of vines in Maremma by cultivating the vineyards as naturally as possible and producing typical Italian wines. What boundaries will the family transcend next?
Endrizzi
38010 Michele all’Adige
Loc. Masetto (TN)
Italy
Tel. +39 0461 650129
Fax +39 0461 650043
www.endrizzi.it
info@endrizzi.it
