Terre di Fumane is an agricultural consortium company established in 1996 in Fumane (Verona), in Valpolicella Classica; they manage the drying (aka appassimento) of the grapes of local wineries in two different locations, one in Via Ponte Vaio and one in via Flaminio Pellegrini. Here grapes get dried before being destined to the production of the most noble wines of the Valpolicella denomination: Amarone and Recioto.
Terre di Fumane is a fruttaio (place where the grapes are located for the appassimento process) for the drying of fresh grapes where they use and continue to develop techniques which, in compliance with health standards, guarantee the correct dehydration of the grapes, thanks to the experience gained over time, also with the collaboration of the University of Verona.
History
The idea of creating a cooperative fruttaio where to dry the grapes to be used for the production of Valpolicella Amarone and Recioto wines took shape in 1994, when the winegrower Franco Allegrini brought to a real life business the entrepreneurial idea of Roberto Ferrarini, a teacher in oenology at the University of Verona, who had dedicated years of study and research to drying.
At that time, there was a need for economic and administrative-bureaucratic support to create a structure which, however, did not meet with the unanimous approval of the companies in the area; for this reason, the municipal administration, the Consortium for the Protection of Valpolicella wines and the CIA agricultural organization of Verona assumed responsibility for the support of the project by setting up a working group which purpose was to organize a competition of ideas to be presented to the Veneto Region, in order to ensure access to the fundings from the European Union provided by the 5b fund of the EAGGF (European Agricultural and guarantee Fund).
The team was composed of Franco Allegrini, Roberto Ferrarini, Giambattista Polo (president of the CIA of Verona) and the councilman of the Municipality of Fumane Mirco Frapporti, who is general administrator; the competition soon found the approval of the Consortium for the Protection of wines, chaired by Stefano Cesari, with vice president Franco Allegrini and director Emilio Fasoletti.
Several public meetings took place, during which other projects to be potetially financed by FEOGA funds were also presented, reaching a total amount of 12 billion Italian lire in addition to those obtained for the planned appassimento centre, later called "Terre di Fumane" which got about 5 billion lire.
The path to regional approval was nothing but challenging, as competent bureaucrats did not immediately classify the drying process as an agricultural activity (grape processing activity), the dispute was resolved thanks to the support of the technical-scientific considerations drawn up by Mr Ferrarini, who passed away in 2014.
The path to regional approval was nothing but challenging, as competent bureaucrats did not immediately classify the drying process as an agricultural activity (grape processing activity), the dispute was resolved thanks to the support of the technical-scientific considerations drawn up by Mr Ferrarini, who passed away in 2014.
Terre di Fumane is born
The company "Terre di Fumane" was established with a notarial deed in April 1996, Mr Allegrini became sole director and remained so until his death in April 2022; several farms and wineries in the Funese area and other realities in Valpolicella joined the initiative, at his invitation.
In 2016, Franco Allegrini led Terre di Fumane through a crucial growth step with the acquisition and restructuring of the disused facility meant for storage of accumulators called "York", located in via Flaminio Pellegrini in Fumane (an industrial factory dating back to the early sixties of the last century). The location was ideal for the intended purpose, and an environmental recovery operation was carried out in a prestigious area with a view of Villa della Torre.
The current sole director is Davide Ugolini The turnover of Terre di Fumane now amounts to approximately 450 thousand euros, with an average quantity of grapes treated equal to about 17,000 quintals and a development potential of up to 20,000.
Davide Ugolini is the CEO.
Partner companies
The corporate structure of Terre di Fumane includes different wineries:
- Allegrini
- Tenute Ugolini
- Famiglia Campagnola
- Brigaldara
- Speri Viticoltori
- Secondo Marco di Speri Marco
- Speri Marco
- Cottini Flavio
- Nicolis Pier Angelo
- Arduini Angiolina
- Riolfi Ada
- Zanoni Lina
- Corteforte
- Righetti Maria Teresa
