Wines That Are Mad Enjoyment
Every once in a while you happen upon those wines and foods that transport you: while tasting them, you close your eyes and imagine the purest, most transparent expression of a place.
That is the philosophy behind Pellagroso and Foligodia. They are nestled in the evocative, ancient morainic hills of Monzambano, Northern Italy, between Lake Garda and Mantova (or Mantua). It’s a behind-the-scenes wine region, in the shadows of its more famous neighboring wine regions like Valpolicella (think Amarone) and Franciacorta.
The 2 people behind Pellagroso and Foligodia are trailblazing and making inroads in getting their native land in Northern Mantova on the Italian wine map: they are Antonio Camazzola and Sharom Messori. Their passion, labor, and creativeness that goes into their farming and winemaking is less about winemaking and more about mindfulness, through a quiet and powerful meditation on terroir and natural good-for-you and good-for-the-earth products.
Every bottle, and other farm-to-table products, that they craft is a conscious choice, as well as an authentic reflection of the earth. For them, the act of enjoying their products is an immersive journey back to nature's rhythm. They are masters of authenticity, refusing compromise and ensuring that what you taste is the unadulterated essence of their unique landscape. So let’s meet the couple.
Meet Sharom and Antonio
Antonio and Sharom are the heart and soul of these projects, Pellagroso and Foligodia. They live, work, and raise their children in the beautiful, unheralded hills of Monzambano, in Northern Mantova. This area, nestled between the famous wine regions of Valpolicella and Franciacorta, is rich with unique soil that demands an honest, hands-on approach to have its story told.
Sharom, Antonio, and two of their children in their shared winery.
Antonio, a former restaurateur whose passion for wine eclipsed his love for food, and Sharom, his partner in life and business who shares his profound respect for nature, embarked on their winemaking and farming journey in 2011. It began quietly with the opportunity to take over some forgotten and abandoned local vines. They knew immediately that they not only wanted to become the custodians of the land but also revive it, with some of it bordering a local schoolyard. To safeguard the nearby children and their own philosophies, they knew they had to have an uncompromising approach: a full conversion to organic, natural, and certified biodynamic agriculture. Through this, they have committed to improving the land, recognizing themselves as "guests of the earth”, as Sharom says, and building a lasting legacy for their children and others. They are not merely farmers: they are custodians of their ecosystem.
Their entire approach is built on the realization that nature is a complete system where all living creatures need to coexist and work together. This is why their commitment is natural farming is absolute and they have been certified biodynamic by AgriBioDinamica. Part of this belief is driven by the desire not to deplete, but to improve the land, increasing and maintaining the fertility of the soil for the future, through things like regenerative agriculture. They also, in alignment with many biodynamic principles, let their work be dictated by the stars and moon and astronomical movements. All farm work, from planting and pruning to harvesting, is carefully timed according to the moon and stars, honoring the subtle, powerful forces that affect life on Earth.
While organic, they go far beyond the basic organic standards by using biodynamic preparations in their fields. These preparations are fundamental to nourishing the soil's humus, imbuing their grapes, grains, and vegetables with vital energy. This commitment to vitality and purity dictates everything that follows, ensuring that the fruit that reaches the cellar is authentic, complete, and full of life.
They have grown to not only farm vines and make wine, but they also farm a great deal of other vegetables and grains as well, each plot and product earning the same respect and natural farming methods as their grape vines.
While there is, to use a relatable yet undeniably corporate term, an “umbrella” company, that is “Azienda Agricola Antonio Camazzola”, they lead two distinct companies on which they work together, each contributing their own creative drivers and personal visions which match with an incredible synergy: they are Pellagroso for Antonio and Foligodia for Sharom.
Foligodia and Pellagroso
There are certainly communal philosophies between Foligodia and Pellagroso; after all there is still a singular unit couple at the heart of the wineries. Both wineries focus on crafting products that have no additives, and are sustainable and honest expressions of nature and the place where each was cultivated. Every wine is made with spontaneous fermentation using indigenous yeasts, aged in inert vessels (cement or fiberglass), and produced with no filtration, no clarification, and no added sulfites.
This commitment to purity allows the unique characteristics of their terroir—the complex soil, the specific grape blends, and the vintage—to shine without manipulation.And while the couple expresses their ideas through these two complementary brands, in reality, their own personalities come out in each a little differently.
Rebellious Simplicity
Antonio's brand, Pellagroso, is defined by protest and character, after all, it was named after a 19th-century political newspaper known for its vision in regards to agriculture. This rebellious spirit moves through Antonio’s wines. Wines that focus on being different, and looking at wine and farming methods through “different” lenses. He crafts wines like Lugar, named for the lizard that thrives in their vineyards. A skin-contact white wine, aka, an orange wine, Lugar is a rich blend of flavorful grapes, riesling, moscato, and garganega, which undergoes skin contact for added complexity. It is complex, with a distinct lemon apricot flavor, and an intriguing nose of lemon citron (aka Buddha’s hand). It makes for an interesting and refreshing wine which keeps you on your toes.
And, on the other end of the “wine spectrum”, we have Antonio’s Amal Enolito. A unique, chinato-style spiced red wine, Amal Enolito was named to honor a female 19th-century natural-doctor, Amalia Moretti Foggia. To create it, red merlot wine is infused with botanicals like rhubarb, gentian, quinine, and clove. Versatile, it can be enjoyed as an aperitivo, even on ice, served like a cocktail or as an dinner sipper (think Barolo Chinato style). You could also heat it up for a mulled wine effect. It pairs with certain foods, like spicy Asian dishes. Unique, it wonderfully encapsulates Antonio’s drive to push boundaries and limits.
The Romantic Botanist
Sharom's line of wines and teas, Foligodia, embodies a fresh, feminine side to the couple’s commitment to biodiversity. The name itself comes from a magical word that came to Sharom in a dream, a mashup of the Italian words follia and godere, meaning “madness” and “enjoyment”. Her wines represent her unfiltered, unequivocal dedication to biodynamic and natural farming.
Covering three different, equally vibrant and beautiful colors, the wines are similar in their deliciousness, but, oh, so different in their styles. From the skin-contact orange Metamorfosi, with flavors of apricots, to the rosé Risveglio , with its juicy cherry taste, to Ascoltati red wine that tastes like strawberry juice, each wine represents a different place in a journey of “discovery”. Their Italian names translate to different stages, from the beginning, or metamorphosis, Metamorfosi, to the eye opening wake up call, Risveglio, to listing to your deep inner truths, Ascoltati. And these wines do just that: take you on a journey to understanding Sharom’s heart.
And, it doesn’t end there: she wants to also “take me elsewhere”, or the Italian translation of her last fermented product, Portami Altrove. A slightly sparkling cider made from apples and bergamot, Portami Altrove has that classic cider flavor, with a lemon herbal twist: think verbana, the flowering plant with a lemon and mint taste.
Sharom's work extends beyond fermentation too. As a true steward of biodiversity, she harvests the herbs and flowers that grow in her farming fields, vineyards included. Carefully handpicking and slowly drying them, she then uses these special botanicals to create her unique herbal teas.
Part of the farmstead of Foligodia and Pellagroso.
A really cool experience is to taste her wines and then smell her herbal teas and find the similarities in their aromas: you really get a sense of their terroir by comparing and contrasting Foligodia’s natural wines and herbal teas. This is where true magic happens: by fostering the health of the entire ecosystem, the aromatic profiles of the farm become intrinsically linked through all of the products. For instance, the bright lemon-like acidity and verbana aromas in her Portami Altrove Cider echo the purity and floral notes present in her teas. These products offer a complete sensory loop, allowing you to taste the full, unadulterated nature of the vineyard, from the bottle to the mug.
Get Some Nature in Your Glass
Pellagroso and Foligodia represent the future of Italian winemaking: a blend of protest, passion, and profound respect for the earth. This amazing couple is reviving an ancient terrain, one clean, honest, and truly profound product at a time.
Vero is proud to bring you their full line of wines, cider, and herbal teas. To experience Sharom’s unique aromatic vision, we recommend the Natural Wine and Tea Tasting Gift Basket, which allows you to explore the connection between her wines and herbal tea.
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There are few better ways to relax and spend a mindful moment alone or with friends than with a glass of wine or a cup of tea. But what if you could relax with both?! From natural winery Foligodia in Northern Italy, comes both relaxation items: Wine and Tea! With this set you can enjoy a tart orange skin contact wine, a juicy red wine, and an herbal tea from flowers grown in the vineyards themselves. Can you taste the flowers from the tea in the wines… after all they come from the same terroir!
These products are made by a woman farmer and winegrower who goes through her vineyards collecting plants to make her own herbal teas. She practices organic, biodynamic and regenerative farming, making natural wine and herbal teas with no additives.
A great set not only as a gift basket, but also as a gift for yourself for a little self care.
As shipping within the continental United States is included for any order, so add on any other wines, foods, or extra virgin olive oils.
Included in this box are:
A fruit-forward and complex orange wine, Lugar immediately delights with flavors of tart peaches and a nose rich with exotic citrus and satisfyingly complex notes. This thirst-quenching character comes from a unique blend of Riesling, Garganega, and Moscato grapes grown in three different vineyards. Aged in cement with five days of skin contact, this serious orange wine achieves a notable acidity that is in full harmony with its flavors, leading to a long, clean, and saline finish. The wine presents an intense yellow color with striking green reflections.
Region: Italy > Lombardy > Mantova
Tastes Like: Tart peaches
Farming & Winemaking Highlights: Regenerative Agriculture | Sustainable Winery | Biodynamic | Native Yeast Fermentation | No additives | No Sulfites added | Unfiltered | Organic | Skin Contact Orange Wine | Natural Wine
Fun Facts: The name “lugar” refers to a type of small green lizard that lives in the vineyard.
This uniquely crafted aromatized red wine that tastes like chocolate covred plums is a delicious expression of today's appetite for sophisticated, botanical-forward beverages. With a complex profile akin to a classic Barolo Chinato, it strikes the perfect balance for those who appreciate the less-sweet, bitter notes of an amaro. This versatile drink is fantastic served chilled over ice as a refreshing aperitivo, or warmed for a comforting nightcap as a mulled wine. For the best experience, be sure to refrigerate it after opening.
Region: Italy > Lombardy > Mantova
Tastes Like: Plums with dark chocolate and a rhubarb and amaro-digestivo like aftertaste
Farming & Winemaking Highlights: Regenerative Agriculture | Sustainable Winery | Biodynamic | Native Yeast Fermentation | No additives | No sulfites added | Unfiltered | Organic | Natural Wine
Fun Facts: This is a super-natural wine that has been steeped with aromatic herbs and spices for a unique flavor, sometimes called “Chinato” in Italian. In fact, the famous “Barolo Chinato” is made in a similar way.
Portami Altrove is a truly unique apple cider, with a bright lemon-yellow color and a beautifully aromatic nose of golden apples and floral jasmine. The palate is defined by a refreshing medium acidity and a captivating flavor of lemon-apple juice, where a delicate, slightly bitter lemon note playfully dominates the apple. Its low alcohol content makes this a wonderfully versatile beverage, perfect for serving chilled as an intriguing aperitif or a light dessert drink.
Tastes Like: Apple juice with lemon.
Farming & Winemaking Highlights: Regenerative Agriculture | Sustainable Winery | Biodynamic | Native Yeast Fermentation | No additives | Unfiltered | Organic | Natural
Fun Facts: This is actually an alcoholic apple cider. It’s name comes from the Italian for “take me elsewhere”.
From the woman owned natural winery Foligodia, Metamorfosi is a complex orange wine that tastes like biting into a tart apricot. This fruit-forward wine gets its distinctive character from skin contact, and it's crafted from a blend of Chardonnay and Malvasia di Candia grapes.
Region: Italy > Lombardy > Mantova
Tastes Like: Like biting into a tart apricot.
Farming & Winemaking Highlights: Regenerative Agriculture | Sustainable Winery | Biodynamic | Native Yeast Fermentation | No additives | No Sulfites added | Unfiltered | Organic | Skin Contact | Natural Wine
Fun Facts: The name metamorfosi means “metamorphisis” in Italian.
A fun and fruit-forward red wine, Ascoltati offers an immediate burst of juicy strawberry and floral notes, reminiscent of fresh strawberry juice and a hint of lavender. With a medium acidity and very low tannins, this "glou glou" style wine is deliciously drinkable but still finishes clean with a distinct mineral character. Crafted by Foligodia, this low-alcohol blend of Merlot, Rondinella, and other grapes is a perfect wine for any occasion and is particularly refreshing when served chilled.
Region: Italy > Lombardy > Mantova
Tastes Like: Strawberry Juice
Farming & Winemaking Highlights:Regenerative Agriculture | Sustainable Winery | Biodynamic | Native Yeast Fermentation | No additives | No Sulfites added | Unfiltered | Organic | Natural Wine
Fun Facts: The name ascoltati means “listen” in Italian.
This herbal tea is the handicraft of the woman winemaker behind Foligodia wines: while caring for her organic , biodynamic and regenerative farm which makes her natural wines, she collects wild plants and herbs growing in her vineyards to make this 100% natural, loose-leaf herbal infusion, known as a tisana in Italian. This blend of hand-harvested herbs and flowers is cultivated directly from the winery's vineyards and cold-dried to preserve its purity.
Each herbal tea is hand selected by Sharom of Foligodia and provides various health benefits, from promoting physical and mental relaxation to bolstering your immune system. Escape to the serene landscape in the vineyards and hills of Northern Italy with every cup of Sharom’s natural herbal infusions.
Region: Italy > Lombardy > Mantova
Tastes Like: Wildflowers and plants native to Northern Mantova Italy
Farming & Winemaking Highlights: Regenerative Agriculture | Sustainable Winery | Biodynamic | No additives | Organic | Natural
Fun Facts: You get many similar aromas when you taste together Foligodia’s natural wines and her teas.
