marco levis - veneto

Located at 1000 metres above sea level in the town of Alpago in Veneto, Azienda Agricola La Maddalena is the embodiment of high-altitude wine making. In fact, the estate is located at the base of the Dolomites, a chain of mountains that crosses Italy’s northern regions. 

Marco Levis and his wife, Maddalena De Mola, founded the winery in 2013. Their goal was that of producing Italy’s finest Pinot Grigio. When they started, there wasn’t a single winery in the area, and many described them as crazy for even trying to grow grapes at such a high altitude. Azienda Agricola La Maddalena’s success at making wines in such challenging conditions created a domino effect in their region, with many other wineries following in their steps.

Currently, the estate has two hectares of vineyards and produces under 4,000 bottles per vintage although there are plans to slowly increase production.

All of the estate’s wines are aged in stainless steel as Marco aims to keep them as pure and untouched as possible. 

His Pinot Grigio is pure, crisp and laced with floral notes and minerality. This isn’t your typical Pinot Grigio. In fact, Marco suggests that although it can be enjoyed at the time of release, this is a wine that can benefit from ageing and will reward those who keep it tucked away in the cellar. His Anulare is a tribute to the way wine used to be made in the region during the last century. Marco picks the Pinot Grigio grapes at first snowfall, usually in early November when they are over-ripe. He then vinifies them into a dry white wine. The extended time on the vine imparts added concentration and extra layers of complexity when compared to his standard Pinot Grigio. Finally, his Pinot Nero is a perfect example of how Italy’s northern regions are capable of producing beautiful Pinot Noirs. Since it is not aged in wood and because it originates in a cold climate, this is a light-bodied Pinot that is fruit-forward and higher in acidity making it a perfect companion for food.   

We are convinced that Marco Levis is producing Italy’s most compelling and unique Pinot Grigio wines and we could not be happier to serve as his exclusive importer in Quebec.