Agricola Foradori at a Glance

Owners Elisabetta Foradori, Emilio Zierock, Theo Zierock, Myrtha Zierock
Region Trentino-Alto Adige
Size 34 hectares
Farming Certified Organic and Biodynamic (ICEA & Demeter certified)
Soils Alluvial clay, limestone, gravel, sand
Grape Varieties Nosiola, Manzoni Bianco, Pinot Grigio, Chardonnay, Teroldego, Schiava, Merlot
Vine density 6,000 / ha
Appellation(s) Vigneti delle Dolomiti IGT
Annual Production 180,000 bottles

I first met Elisabetta Foradori in 2014, beneath the arches of a majestic Venetian villa near Vicenza, which used to house the Vini Veri wine fair. In that crowded space, her stand was a magnet, drawing a constant horde of people eagerly extending their glasses for a taste of the wines from this legendary woman and the estate that bears her name. How could I stand out from the crowd and make the connection that would, hopefully, lead to becoming their ambassador and importer for New Zealand?

Every importer has their own style. For me, a big part of the job’s joy is that I can be myself—the same globe-trotting guy who left New Jersey in 1977 to travel the world. Back then, I was hunting for fiddle tunes; today, it’s artisanal wines from the vast treasure trove that is Italy. But the intuition for “getting through the door” remains the same.

It wasn’t until three years later, in 2017, that I visited the Foradori estate in Mezzolombardo, alongside my daughter Astrid and her future husband, Simone. The estate sits on the famed Campo Rotaliano plain, beneath the majestic cliffs of the Dolomites.

Now in its fourth generation, the property and winery were purchased in 1939 by Elisabetta’s grandfather Vittorio, a lawyer. Like most winegrowers in the region at the time, the estate initially sold its grapes to the local cooperative for bulk wine production. Her father, Roberto, sensing a different future for the estate, studied oenology and developed the winery. It wasn’t until 1960 that they released the first vintage of Il Foradori, their flagship Teroldego, which remains the global reference point for this variety to this day.

Tragically, Roberto Foradori passed away young, leaving the family in a challenging situation.

Seeing her mother struggle to manage the business, sixteen-year-old Elisabetta enrolled at the renowned wine school in San Michele all’Adige. By the age of twenty, she had taken over the running of the estate. A visit from Professor Rainer Zierock, the ‘agricultural philosopher’ who had begun teaching at San Michele, profoundly influenced both her personal and professional life. In 1986, they released the first vintage of Granato, a 100% Teroldego wine made from the estate’s oldest vines. Six years later, Granato—named after the pomegranate, now symbolic of the Foradori brand—won the prestigious Gambero Rosso Three Glasses award. But despite the business thriving, Elisabetta felt increasingly disconnected from the land.

A turning point came in 2002, when, inspired by her Alsatian winemaker friend Mark Kreydenweiss, Elisabetta embraced biodynamic farming methods. The estate achieved Demeter certification in 2009.

The rebranding to Agricola Foradori reflects the estate’s evolution into a holistic biodynamic farm. Today, it produces not only wine but also raw milk cheeses and over 30 varieties of vegetables. With the winery now managed by her eldest son Emilio, Elisabetta has focused her vision and energy on artisanal dairy production. Her daughter Myrtha runs the market garden project, while her son Theo leads the estate’s sales and distribution.


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