It was 1980 when Pier Luigi Neri inherited a farm in Liguria, one of the smallest regions in Italy (5,420 square kilometers) overlooking the Ligurian Sea, bordering France to the west, Piedmont and Emilia-Romagna to the north, and Tuscany to the east. This is how the Neri family came into possession of a big 19th century house with a large piece of land, a small paradise in the countryside of Sarzana, in the eastern part of Liguria, which over time has become one of the most appreciated wineries of “Colli di Luni” – a registered designation of origin area – Il Monticello.

Alessandro and Davide Neri, Pier Luigi’s sons, are the custodians of those first Vermentino, Sangiovese, Canaiolo and Ciliegiolo vine shoots planted more than 40 years ago, which they have managed, thanks to their studies in engineering and agronomy, to make “Il Monticello” an even more successful winery.

With more than 14 hectares of vineyard, the winery is now producing more than 100 thousand bottles a year, a significant figure for a difficult land – the Liguria region – that gives nothing away for free, due to its steep slopes that hinder vine cultivation and maintenance. However, thanks to the care and respect for vines, which are the essential principles for the Neri brothers, it was worth the pain.