Introduction: “Wine today needs a contemporary, international appeal. With Monteleone21, we’re trying to offer that right here in Valpolicella Classica.” So says Masi Agricola President Sandro Boscaini as he reflects on the opening of Masi’s multifunctional wine hub Monteleone21.
Conceived before the COVID-19 pandemic and finally inaugurated this year, Monteleone21 is more than a winery but a dynamic hub where wine, culture and hospitality converge.
Located between Verona and Lake Garda, the facility introduces a contemporary model of the ‘open winery’ with guided tours, tastings, exhibitions and events. Highlights include the Agorà – a striking circular meeting space – and the Fruttaio di Appassimento, a 12m-high drying loft that showcases the winemaking process behind Amarone.
Designed with sustainability at its core, Monteleone21 was built largely underground to minimise environmental impact.
At the Locanda Costasera restaurant, Masi’s Venetian spirit is expressed through a culinary offering that fuses local ingredients with global influences. The Enoteca Masi completes the visitor experience with a broad selection of the company’s labels, from Amarone and Cantina Privata wines. Educational and exhibition spaces deepen the narrative, while guests can take home a “souvenir in a bottle” to relive the experience.
In this interview, Boscaini explains how Monteleone21 is reshaping the narrative of Valpolicella Classica. From redefining the wine tourism offer in the region to attracting younger consumers through contemporary experiences such as mixology, the project represents an evolution of both the Masi Wine Experience and Amarone wines.
On the record with Sandro Boscaini
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How did the idea for Monteleone21 come about?
It has been a long journey leading up to the official opening of Monteleone21 to the public. A path full of challenges.
In fact, this was an investment planned just before the COVID-19 pandemic, which naturally caused a series of delays. But today, the new production-tourism-experience hub is open and accessible.
With this new facility, we go beyond the traditional concept of showing the public how wine is made: we offer a true Agorà, where wine comes to life through events, exhibitions, and immersive experiences. With a multimedia auditorium and various indoor and outdoor areas designed to be multifunctional and welcoming, Monteleone21 is the perfect setting for institutional, corporate and private events — set in one of Italy’s most stunning landscapes.
At the Locanda Costasera restaurant, Masi’s Venetian and international soul takes shape in a fusion of culinary proposal, featuring dishes inspired by local tradition as well as our global experience in pairing wines with cuisines from all five continents.
Monteleone21 is more than a winery. In your view, how does it represent the next chapter of wine tourism in Valpolicella?
The need for a multi-functional space came out of a study conducted in collaboration with IULM University and the University of St. Gallen, which highlighted the strategic potential of Valpolicella for wine tourism. This territory is a crossroads between Lake Garda (which has 18 million annual visitors) and Verona (which adds another 5 million).
In essence, this is the most attractive destination in Veneto after Venice, and one of the top in Italy. We realised this was the perfect place to create something that celebrates wine in a new and original way, enhancing the local offering and increasing its economic impact.
How does the new building blend into the Valpolicella landscape?
While the economic and social impact is large, the environmental and landscape impact is minimal. Two-thirds of Monteleone21 is built underground. This wasn’t just an expansion of winery space, but of the functions related to wine.
For example, the Appassimento fruit-drying area is a 12m-high space equipped with modern technology but retains traditional materials like bamboo canes; a majestic space that consolidates our 13 existing sites, which will now be used only for single vineyard wines.
Then there’s the Agorà, a meeting and hospitality area: a spectacular circular square of over 1,000sq m, with a coffered concrete ceiling – an architectural masterpiece. Here visitors can shop at the Masi Wine Shop, enjoy tastings or engage in new experiences, such as mixology.
This is another sign of how wine is evolving and the importance of staying up to date with a broader, more diverse audience.
How is the concept of sustainability reflected in the daily operations of the new facility?
What we now call sustainability has always been in Masi’s DNA. One key fact shows it: you don’t celebrate 250 harvests by accident. Digging into our family history, I found that even my grandfather had a clear vision: he wrote, “In nature, at a human pace.”
That’s the foundation of our sustainability ethos. To us, sustainability must be environmental, economic and social. Monteleone21 continues that legacy and builds on key decisions, such as transforming Masi into a Benefit Corporation in 2024.
From day one, the building was designed to minimise environmental impact: using local materials, natural ventilation and renewable energy sources, such as geothermal and solar panels. There’s also a green roof that retains rainwater and reduces heat, part of our plan to achieve LEED Gold certification.
What sets Valpolicella apart as a wine tourism destination? How does Monteleone21 help you reach a broader audience of wine enthusiasts?
In wine today – and in Valpolicella specifically – we need to think with a broader vision. Tuscany’s success in wine tourism is the result of synergy between a beautiful landscape and renowned wineries. In Valpolicella, the main draw is still Lake Garda, and only later are visitors surprised by the beauty of our lesser-known hills.
Right now, the typical offering is still limited to a tour and a tasting of a few iconic wines, but this is no longer enough for today’s visitor, who expects stories and emotions beyond the glass. This is why Monteleone21 is a cornerstone of our 250th harvest celebration: it represents a new way to engage.
Watch the YouTube video above to hear Masi Agricola CEO Federico Girotto talk about how Monteleone21 represents the next evolution of the Masi Wine Experience
How does Monteleone21 drive Masi’s mission to showcase Italian craftsmanship on a global stage?
Monteleone21 encapsulates the future of Italian craftsmanship, capable of thinking locally but acting globally. Its contemporary, sustainable architecture integrates harmoniously with the landscape.
The choice of materials was no accident, and the visionary behind the project was Libero Cecchini, a renowned post-war Italian architect. His ideas were brought to life by architect Alessandro Beghini, an expert on the Valpolicella area, and the Venetian architecture studio led by Giovanna Mar, specialists in tourism, museums and educational spaces.
These are shining examples of Venetian know-how, which gave Monteleone21 the contemporary style and functionality we wanted it to have: the true home of Amarone and wine.
Would you consider Monteleone21 a version 2.0 of the Masi Wine Experience?
Absolutely. Monteleone21 is an evolution of the Masi Wine Experience, launched in 1991 at the Possessioni Serego Alighieri, the first initiative of its kind in Valpolicella.
Now we want to offer a different kind of emotion, conveyed even through architecture – one that doesn’t replicate rustic styles but uses local materials, such as Nembro stone, sourced just 3km from the site.
If there’s a limit in Valpolicella, especially regarding Amarone, it’s that we haven’t fully promoted the true quality of our wines. Monteleone21 helps redefine this through a narrative of premiumisation and authentic exclusivity.
How can Monteleone21 help attract and educate a new generation of wine lovers?
Attracting new generations is a critical topic in the wine world. In designing the experiences at Monteleone21, we started with the idea that young people need a different kind of engagement, with opportunities for growth and education in conscious consumption.
This is where mixology comes in, alongside more traditional offerings, such as our Fresco di Masi which is organic and 100% sustainable. Wine today needs a contemporary, international appeal. With Monteleone21, we’re trying to offer that right here in Valpolicella Classica.
What does the opening of Monteleone21 mean for you and Masi Agricola, especially as you celebrate 250 harvests this year?
The opening of Monteleone21 is just the beginning for us; over time we will enrich the offering with new experiences tailored to the expectations of our guests. It’s an invitation to embark with Masi and its 250 years of history on a journey that, harvest after harvest, will continue to surprise and inspire. ✈
Watch the YouTube video to hear from Raffaele Boscaini, seventh-generation Coordinator of the Masi Technical Group and Marketing Director of Masi Agricola, as he discusses Monteleone21 and his family’s history and heritage in Valpolicella
