Just a few minutes from Lake Garda and Verona, Masi Agricola is opening its new visitor center, Monteleone21, in early June. The Valpolicella Classico winery announced this in a recent press release. As a leading producer of Amarone, Masi aims to combine modern architecture with deeply rooted wine tradition and a comprehensive sensory experience with this concept. The primary focus is on Amarone as Masi's flagship.
According to the announcement, the centerpiece of the complex is the monumental Agora, a covered piazza with an area of 1,000 m², characterized by a coffered concrete ceiling and historic marble reliefs featuring the winged lion of St. Mark, which symbolizes regional identity. Designed as an "open winery," Monteleone21 offers an "all-encompassing experience for wine lovers." Visitors can expect a diverse program of tours, tastings, and events. According to Masi, this experience journey extends from the modern main building, through the historic wine cellars, to the nearby Possessioni Serego Alighieri estate.
According to the announcement, a special architectural highlight is the 'Fruttaio di Appassimento', a 12-meter-high hall that showcases the appassimento grape drying process. The Enoteca Masi also invites visitors to taste, linger, and shop: here, visitors will find Masi's complete range, extending from exclusive single-vineyard Amarones and rarities from the 'Cantina Privata Boscaini' to wines from its Argentinean branch, the Masi Tupungato winery.
"Monteleone21 meets the current needs of consumers open to new trends, first and foremost the ‘search for proximity’ with the brand and its tangible values: the territory and the Boscaini family," says Federico Girotto, CEO of Masi. “But Monteleone21 is not only Masi’s ‘open winery’ and brand house: it is a true entry-gate to Valpolicella Classico, to Veneto, and to Italy. Our architects and their studios agreed with us that high-quality wine tourism is today’s most meaningful way to appreciate wine and that dedicated spaces are needed to express not only functionality but also an aspirational soul. With this belief, we committed significant organizational and financial resources to this project.”
