Ca' dei Frati sits at the southern tip of Lake Garda in Lugana di Sirmione, a name that has belonged to the Dal Cero family since 1939 and to a documented vineyard since 1782. Four generations on, the estate still defines the long-lived face of Lugana DOC, with Turbiana whites built to age and a small Pietro Dal Cero Amarone della Valpolicella DOCG made from Corvina sourced over the Veneto border.
Lombardy
Bookable experiences, curated by our editors. External booking where marked.
A 30-minute guided visit through the production cellar followed by a tasting of four wines selected by the staff. Booking is required online and groups larger than six must contact the cellar at least ten days in advance.
Book this experienceA 30-minute guided visit through the production cellar followed by a tasting of four wines selected by the staff. Booking is required online and groups larger than six must contact the cellar at least ten days in advance.
Book this experienceThe estate's roots in Lugana go back further than the Dal Ceros themselves. A 1782 deed describes "una casa con cantina sita in Lugana nel tener di Sermion detta il luogo dei Frati", the friars' house on the southern shore of Lake Garda. In 1939 Felice Dal Cero, son of Domenico, a viticoltore from Montecchia di Crosara in the Veronese, moved to that property and began farming the Turbiana vines that surrounded it.
Felice's son Pietro Dal Cero pushed Ca' dei Frati into the modern era. In 1969, the year the Lugana DOC was created, Pietro bottled the first Casa dei Frati Lugana, later shortened to Ca' dei Frati. That move, combined with a working friendship with the wine writer Gino Veronelli, set the estate's direction: Lugana could be a wine of substance and time, not just a poolside refresher.
When Pietro passed in 2012 his wife Santa Rosa and their children Igino, Gian Franco and Anna Maria carried the estate forward, the fourth Dal Cero generation in vines and cellar. Each parcel is vinified separately so the cellar can read the lake-flat clay and morainic gravels of Lugana plot by plot, then assemble wines that hold up to bottle ageing. The flagship I Frati and the cru Brolettino, both 100% Turbiana, are the clearest expression of that approach.
Beyond Lugana the estate farms a wider Garda range: Pratto, a barrel-fermented white IGT; Rosa dei Frati, a saignée rosé; Ronchedone, a red blend of Marzemino, Sangiovese and Cabernet at 14%; the Cuvée dei Frati metodo classico in white and rosé; and Tre Filer, a late-harvest passito. The family also bottles a small Amarone della Valpolicella DOCG named Pietro Dal Cero, made from Corvina, Corvinone, Rondinella and Croatina sourced from the Valpolicella hills above Verona, a quiet nod to the Dal Ceros' origins.
The cellar in Via Frati keeps the same posture as the wines: deliberate. The shop and tasting room are open Monday to Saturday, with a free guided cellar tour and four-wine tasting that has to be booked online in advance.
Editorially verified by ItalianWines.co.uk.
Plate I · LOMBARDY
Azienda Agricola Ca’ dei Frati's current bottle selection is led by Amarone della Valpolicella DOCG. The clearest grape signal comes from Turbiana.
9 wines 
Tastings
Tours
Accommodation
Booking required 
