Bolla

Bolla is a sizable wine producer based in Valpolicella, in northeast Italy. It has a long history and has been at the forefront of the spread in international awareness of the wines of the Veneto. Bolla was one of the first wineries from the region to become well-known in the United States for wines such as Soave and Bardolino, and was famously championed by Italian-American singer Frank Sinatra.

Bolla claim to be the first company to market Amarone, after bottling a 1950 for the 80th birthday of Alberto Bolla. In honor of this, the top Amarone della Valpolicella Classico is called Le Origini. A generic Amarone, Recioto Valpolicella Classico and Recioto di Soave Classico complete Bolla's top tier. On top of this, there is a wide range of wines under the Valpolicella, Soave, Bardolino, Custoza, Lugana and Prosecco appellations, as well as varietal wines made from Pinot Grigio, Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon.

The cellar mixes modern and traditional winemaking techniques, combining barriques, stainless steel tanks and hi-tech bottling lines with Slavonian oak vats dating back to 1883 when the first winery was built at Soave by Abele Bolla, owner of a famous local inn. The company established its Valpolicella winery in the 1930s, and by the 1950s their wines were becoming known in numerous export markets. Bolla was bought outright by importer and shareholder Brown-Forman in 2000, and then by Gruppo Italiano Vini in 2009.