Elisabetta Foradori

Elisabetta Foradori has become one of Italy’s superstar winemakers. The early death of her father unexpectedly hurtled her to the management of the family estate. At the age of just 20 Elisabetta Foradori (above) found herself in charge of the family winery, based in the foothills of the Dolomite Mountains in Trentino, way back in 1984. It’s been quite a journey for her, and over time she has moved in a more natural direction, looking to get the ultimate expression of the place and the main variety here, Teroldego.

There are 28 hectares of vines here, with three-quarters of this Teroldego, plus Manzoni Bianco (a cross of Pinot Blanc and Riesling), Nosiola and Pinot Grigio, with production around 150 000 bottles a year. These vineyards are surrounded by mountains. Since 2012, Emilio, one of her four children, has worked with her, and she has gradually taken a more natural direction. Part of this direction is a move towards using clay.