The origins of the Villa date back to 1560, thanks to the prestigious architect Andrea Palladio. Since 1996 Villa Santa Sofia has been included in the UNESCO World Heritage Site together with the other residences built by Palladio.

The company recently purchased new land in Valpantena, in the locality of Briago, thus becoming the owner of 53 total hectares and expanding its future prospects.

Today the Begnoni family enthusiastically lives their role as witness and guardian of this great winemaking tradition.

Started in 2015 in Gargnano, a small town in the province of Brescia located on Lake Garda, the company is located in a historically ideal area, due to microclimatic conditions, for the cultivation of olive trees and lemons.

In the family olive grove, home of the company, Diego has been able to become passionate about olive growing over the years, acquiring the local cultivation techniques from his father and managing, over time, to combine them with current knowledge and processing systems.

One of Europe’s most unique winegrowing areas straddles the regions of Lombardy and Veneto. It lies a stone’s throw south of the southern banks of Lake Garda, in the townships of Sirmione and Peschiera. Its weather is temperate thanks to its proximity to the lake. A breathtaking landscape with an amphitheater of hills formed thousands of years ago, as the glaciers melted. These origins are the secret behind the clay-rich soils there, with their excellent water retention and abundant minerals. These soils make the land ideal for grape growing and in particular for Trebbiano di Lugana vines.

This is where S. Cristina wines are born. Wines with character, an authentic expression of Lugana’s distinctive terroir.