The story behind our wines: San Cassiano
Some wines arrive at the deli with a story that you can almost taste. San Cassiano is one of them.
A family rooted in the land
This small family winery sits in the Mezzane Valley, just outside the hilltop hamlet of San Cassiano, in the heart of Valpolicella. It is a place of steep slopes, olive trees and vines, where the land has been shaped gently by generations of farmers rather than industry. When you look at photographs of the valley, you understand immediately why the wines feel the way they do: bright, open, and full of character.
The story of San Cassiano began in 1957, when Albino Sella planted his first vines alongside his olive trees. What started as a small mixed farm slowly grew into something more focused, and in 2002 his grandson Mirko brought everything together under the name Azienda Agricola San Cassiano. Today the family still farms the same land, producing wines that are deeply rooted in the place they come from.
Time, air and traditional methods
One of the things we love most about San Cassiano is their approach to winemaking. The grapes are dried naturally on trellises after harvest, using nothing more than time and air to concentrate their sugars and flavours. This traditional technique gives their wines the depth and richness that Valpolicella is famous for, without the need for heavy intervention.
The soils of the Mezzane Valley are just as important. Much of the land here is made up of white marble, known locally as biancone. These were once poor, difficult soils, but over centuries they have been carefully worked and terraced by hand. The result is vines that struggle just enough to produce grapes with real intensity and character.
Letting each vintage speak
San Cassiano’s philosophy is simple: respect the land, minimise chemicals, and let each vintage speak for itself. Their wines are not designed to be the same every year. Instead, they are a snapshot of the season, shaped by sun, air and soil.
Among their wines are the great reds of Valpolicella, including Amarone, often called the king of Italian reds. These are wines made for slow evenings, good food and long conversations, exactly the sort of moments we think wine should be part of.
Recognised by UK wine experts
Several of the San Cassiano wines we stock, including their Amarone della Valpolicella, have been scored and featured in the Decanter World Wine Awards, one of the UK’s most respected wine competitions. This kind of recognition reflects the depth and character these wines bring to your table.
When you pick up a bottle of San Cassiano from our shelves, you are not just choosing a wine. You are choosing the work of a family, a valley and a way of farming that has been quietly refined over generations. And for us, that is what makes a wine truly worth drinking.
Take a look at our San Cassiano wines: