Tenuta San Leonardo, a prestigious Italian winery nestled between the mountains of northern Italy, stands as a testament to the harmonious blend of tradition and innovation in viticulture. Guided by Anselmo Guerrieri Gonzaga, the estate embraces its distinct Alpine-influenced microclimate to produce wines celebrated for their elegance and refinement. This legacy extends beyond winemaking, encompassing a profound family passion for horticulture, which influences their holistic approach to the land.

Anselmo Guerrieri Gonzaga elaborates on the unique geographical attributes that shape San Leonardo's wines. Situated in the Adige Valley, halfway between Verona and Trento, the estate occupies a narrow strip of land, only 800 meters wide, flanked by mountains reaching nearly 2,000 meters. Despite its low altitude of 120 meters above sea level, the dramatic vertical contrast creates significant thermal shifts between day and night, ideal for photosynthesis and maintaining freshness in the grapes. The refreshing \"Ora del Garda\" wind from nearby Lake Garda consistently ventilates the vines, contributing to their health. This unique environment results in wines with lower alcohol content but intense flavor concentration.

The family's deep-rooted connection to gardening, almost as vital as their winemaking, began with Anselmo's great-great-grandfather, inspired by the Belle Époque in Paris. He established Villa Gresti in the 1870s, surrounding it with exotic gardens. Later, his grandmother, in collaboration with renowned British garden architect Russell Page, created the notable La Landriana garden near Rome, further solidifying this horticultural legacy. This intrinsic appreciation for nature drives Anselmo's current project at San Leonardo: designing a winter garden. This open-air yet enclosed space, carved from the land, will feature plants that flourish in the cold, such as Calycanthus and hellebores, creating a fragrant, sheltered haven for birds, even in January.

Reflecting on his early career, Anselmo recalls joining his father at San Leonardo at the age of 23. While the global trend favored robust, oak-driven wines, Anselmo advocated for a more contemporary style, even suggesting blending Teroldego into their flagship wine. However, his father, with his unwavering vision for elegance, wisely dismissed these ideas. This early guidance shaped Anselmo's understanding that true finesse in winemaking comes from a clear, unwavering vision. Nevertheless, Anselmo did introduce significant changes, particularly with white wines. In 2011, he launched Vette, a vibrant, floral Sauvignon Blanc fermented in stainless steel with bâtonnage for texture. Later, Riesling, a more gastronomically versatile wine aged in 900-liter Stockinger oak barrels, was introduced, demonstrating his appreciation for subtle oak integration in white wines.

Currently, the estate sources grapes for its white wines from seven high-altitude plots, ranging from 200 to 700 meters, as purchasing land in this region is exceedingly expensive. While 95% of the local wine is produced by two large cooperatives, San Leonardo is in the process of acquiring a small Riesling vineyard that also includes some Pinot Bianco. The estate has also fully transitioned to certified organic farming practices. While not entirely biodynamic due to some sourced grapes for their red wines, the underlying philosophy of treating the vineyard as a living entity remains paramount. Furthermore, Anselmo has revolutionized the estate's distribution model. Unlike his father's reliance on a single Italian distributor, San Leonardo now works with 123 agents globally, prioritizing direct relationships with restaurants and small orders over large pallet drops. This shift has resulted in 50% of their wine remaining in Italy, with the rest distributed across 67 markets, including the US, UK, Switzerland, and Germany, with aspirations to expand into Lebanon and India. Anselmo expresses no desire for further growth, preferring to maintain the current size for better manageability and sustainability, allowing the estate to concentrate on its core identity and vision.