Grape varieties : 60% Corvina, 35% Rondinella, 5% Molinara
Alcohol : 13.5%
Guard : 5-10 years
A perfect pairing with a lamb tagine with prunes, venison steak with pan-fried mushrooms, a Grogonzola risotto, or even with a beef stew with carrots and orange zest.
Ah Italy, what a beautiful hedonistic country, people of the Dolce Vita, but what difficulty in understanding its wine organization! The key to understanding the naming system in Italy is to think of it as several small countries rather than a single homogeneous country because each region has its own naming system. Italy can, however, give wine lovers a multitude of wines with varied and unique flavors and styles, as well as bottles filled with surprise and creativity. Unfortunately, it also produces a large quantity of soulless and characterless wines which are sold under their most useful and commercially reputable name: Pinot Grigio, Chianti, Valpolicella, Lambrusco, Prosecco and many others...
But let's talk a little history, viticulture in Italy dates back to ancient times and it originated in Greece. The Etruscans would have planted vines and Greek immigrants would have improved and modified the grape varieties who subsequently called this country "Oenotria": the country of wine. At the height of the Roman Empire, wine held an important place in daily life and certain regions already stood out for the excellence of their product. The Romans also established numerous vineyards in Europe, leaving an indelible testimony to their invasion.
Today Italy is the largest wine producer in the world, ahead of France. Italy is divided into three climatic areas. The northern mountains experience a fairly harsh mountain climate. The “middle of the boot” plain is the domain of the continental climate with cold winters and hot, stormy summers. In the "southern part of the Italian boot" the Mediterranean climate reigns with very hot and very dry summers without forgetting the islands of Sicily and Sardinia. In summary, Italy produces wines of great variety thanks to its 200 different grape varieties, many of which originate from their lands. It is a country just as complex as its wines which deserve to be explored!
Veneto
Veneto is a tourist and wine region of major importance, it is located in the north-eastern part of Italy. Veneto is a little smaller than some of the more important production regions such as Piedmont, Tuscany, Lombardy, Puglia and Sicily but in terms of production it now exceeds Puglia which for a long time was the region of largest production. From a tourist point of view the region is blessed with the city of Venice, the Alps and the Dolomites.
The best-known wines of the region are Valpolicella and Amarones for the reds, Soaves and the Garganega grape variety for the whites and, of course, Prosecco which in the last ten years has exploded on the international scene. The main grape varieties are Glera for Prosecco, Garganega for Soave, Merlot, Corvina for Valpolicella and Pinot Grigio.
The sub-region: Valpolicella
It is a splendid area of hills located a few kilometers from Verona, a UNESCO city of art; Valpolicella is enclosed between the Adige valley, Lessinia, Verona and Lake Garda.
This area, mainly agricultural, extends over 240 km2 on the northwest side of Verona city center. The region is characterized by rolling hills and fertile valleys at the foot of the imposing Dolomite Mountains immediately to the north. In addition to enjoying an excellent climate, this region is filled with incomparable beauty: you can admire astonishing and bucolic landscapes, alternating between vineyards and green olive groves and colorful cherry and peach trees. A favorable climate, fertile land, the wealth of raw materials and the involvement of the local population are the secret of the fertility of Valpolicella, a territory characterized by the offer of different typical products: Valpolicella DOC wines, extra virgin olive oil from Veneto Valpolicella DOP, Verona peach IGP, cherry blossoms, Monte Veronese cheese, cured meats, honey and truffles.
Valpolicella is to Italy what Beaujolais is to France, a source of delicious and gourmet wines which sometimes reach heights like some of the great Amarone. We find the same faults there, a tendency towards overproduction and easy vinification with aromas of bananas which abound in the wines. However, this region, which occupies a good part of western Veneto, is not without its assets. It has native grape varieties with Molinara, Corvina (the main grape variety of the appellation) and Rondinella. The best vineyards north of the Valpolicella Classico area are on rolling hills up to 600 meters above sea level and are centered around the villages of Fumane, Marano and Negrar. But it is undoubtedly the know-how that distinguishes this region because the grape varieties used for the wines tend to generate little color and concentration and the winegrowers concentrate the aromas and flavors by drying the bunches of grapes on mats after the harvest to produce Amarones, Reciotos, Passitos and Ripassos which complement red wines made without drying such as Valpolicella, Valpolicella Classico and Valpolicella Classico Superiore.