|  During
our visit to Villa Sandi last month, Giancarlo Moretti
Polegato, the owner of Villa Sandi was not physically
present at the winery. Instead, we were received by
his beautiful wife Augusta, who had been to India last
year. But Giancarlo called from the US to welcome our
group and apologized for not being there personally
to welcome us.
It transpires that he was in the US to, among other
things; tie up with Robert Mondavi’s elder son
Michael Mondavi who s distributing fine wines from Italy,
USA and other countries, through his Napa based company,
Folio Fine Wine Partners.
The seventeenth Century Villa Sandi has been featured
by delWine in earlier issue and is a must for a visit
by travelers to this region. The villa with underground
caves where thousands of bottles rest for secondary
fermentation, to make the sparkling wine is well known
for making Prosecco sparklers and bubblies using ‘Champenoise’
method.
Apart from the DOC Prosecco it makes several Bordeaux
type reds, some of which are award winning wines and
are good value for money wines, in Colli Asolani. It
has lower-ended wine spectrum pretty much covered too
with varietals including Rose and reds like Merlot etc.
The well known consultant Riccardo Coterella is also
associated with the company.
 'Our
joint venture could lead to other future common projects,
in Italy or in California,' Giancarlo Moretti Polegato,
President of Villa Sandi said, according to the company
sources.
Mondavi, who was the MD of the erstwhile Robert Mondavi
Winery before it was sold off to Constellation Brands
due to financial troubles, has been distributing wines,
including Frescobaldi with whom they had tie ups for
making Italian wines. Villa Sandi will have the advantage
of using the distribution network of the company for
its products.
During the International Wine and Health Convention
at Napa which I attended earlier this year, Michael
who was the keynote speaker had announced that he would
be adding several new fine wines to his portfolio, including
Italian wine.
Villa Sandi is in touch with some importers in India
and is expected to be present soon in this market.
Subhash Arora
Resource
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