Romeo and Juliet, Gondoliers, Sunset over the Grand Canal…
The romance of Venice and Verona are second only to the multi-dimensional wine production of the Veneto.  Stretching from the Sudtirol Dolomites of Cortina D’Ampezzo to the canals of Lido, the vastness of the Veneto is showcased by the diversity of its wine styles.  Rich, gamey fare is the choice of the rolling interior regions around Verona while delicate and stylish cuisine featuring regional seafood is on display in Venezia.  Refreshing, fun bubbles of Prosecco are a classic, but do not underestimate the qualities of quality Soave!  Like Soave, the Valpolicella or “Valley of Many Cellars” is home to both large co-operatives as well as some of the most artisanal houses in Italy.  And of course, what would a tasting of this region be without a sultry Amarone to finish! We will take you on a tour of some of our favorites and introduce you to the pleasures of the vinously rich Veneto region!

2007 Ca’ Rugate Monte Fiorentine Soave Classico D.O.C. $20/$18/$16

The insipid, bland and quite common white from the Veneto known as Soave has been produced for far too long.  The very idea of Soave conjures up ideas of giant bottles of ordinary, commercialized wine that often employs the marketing skills of many rich Italian bankers.  Well, we are here to change that perception of Soave and let people rediscover its greatness when it is made by passionate winemakers.  The Tessari family has been living in the hamlet of Montecchia di Crosara for over a century and the winemaking started with Amadeo Tessari in the post WWI years after he returned from the front lines of the Adige.  In the 1930’s Amadeo’s son Fulvio continued his father’s work and was one of the first in the region to bottle his own wine while still vending a good bit of grapes to the local Co-Op.    It was through slow acquisition of land and vine that the Tessari created a new quality-based traditional winery in the early part of 2001.  The steady rise in the quality of the wines over a century has given them a great reputation both locally and abroad.  The Monte Fiorentine is a single vineyard bottling made from 100% estate grown garganega that is vinified in stainless steel and usually deserves a few years aging to round it out.  The vineyard site is an interesting blend of calcious-clay and alluvial volcanic bedrock adding to the wines complexity and structure.

2007 Otella Lugana D.O.C. $18/$16.20/$14.40

Poor, much maligned trebbiano. Through no fault of it’s own this workhouse grape has been over planted in areas not properly suited to wine-making throughout Italy and turned into a thin insipid table white.  However, in the region of Lugana, which borders Lake Garda, the natural boundary between Veneto and Lombardy, the grape shows its true colors.  Made with 100% Turbiano, the local clone of the Trebbiano grape, this small family owned winery perched on the south-east corner of the lake in Peschiera, produces a lovely refreshing wine.  When the yields of the vine are kept low, the wine develops that perfect balance between body and acidity that makes it an ideal food pairer.  The Gothic King Deodatus, who lived in the first millennium, was known to ship in large quantities of this wine to enliven his banquets.  If it worked for him, why not try it at your next party?

2005 Maculan Brentino I.G.T, Breganze $25/$22.50/$20

From time to time, a winemaker comes along who is so passionate and dynamic that he or she defines an entire wine region.  This is the case with the indomitable Fausto Maculan.  While most of the wine in the Veneto is located around Verona, Maculan has staked his claim in the town of Breganze, north of Vicenza.  Tucked away at the foothills of the Alps, this picturesque spot has a unique microclimate, perfect for producing amazing sweet whites as well as powerful reds.  He is the third generation of his family to produce wine in this area, but it was Fausto himself who built the new winery that brilliantly fuses the best of tradition with the latest innovation.  With the Brentino, Maculan has taken the classic Bordeaux blend of Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon and made it undeniably Italian, with its under currents of wild spice.  To achieve balance the wine is aged 50% in barrique, 1/3 new and 50% in steel tank for a total of 12 months.  The perfect accompaniment to a hearty meat pasta or rustic grilled steak with roasted garlic.

2007 Tenuta Sant’Antonio Scaia Rossa, Rosso del Veneto I.G.T $15/$13.50/$12

The four fratelli Castagnedi believe that it is their passion, inspiration and generational experience that have made them successful in viticulture.  Antonio Castagnedi gave the initial push growing up as a farmer in the hills of Mezzane di Sotto a bit outside of Verona and his four sons have since dedicated themselves to creating quality wines for a new generation.  Each of the sons studied enology and viticulture but also learned a great deal from their father.  Using the initial 20 ha of land to get stated the brothers soon acquired another 30 ha of mostly younger vines that they feel have great potential, which was proven by the many awards they have already received both nationally and internationally.  The Scaia Rossa is a true everyday wine, one that in the Veneto would be enjoyed with lunch or typically light dinners of risotto or even fish.  100% corvina from the younger vines is cultivated from a gravel/white slate and limestone vineyard site before vinification in stainless steel to preserve freshness.  The Casagnedi are pushing the innovation forward, here using a sleek glass closure!

2003 Nicolis Seccal Valpolicella Classico Superiore “Ripasso” D.O.C. $26/$23.40/$20.80

A true family affair, the Nicolis family has grown grapes in San Pietro in Cariano, in the heart of the Valpolicella Classico Zone.  In the 1950’s, Angelo and his wife Natalia proudly built a true winery and began to sell their handcrafted wines.  The passion for the vine runs in the family and their three sons heartily immersed themselves in the process as well, Giancarlo in the vineyards taking care to produce the highest quality fruit, Giuseppe, the trained enologist carries out the vinification and Massimo handles the sales and marketing (all still aided by Mama of course!)  The Ripasso style of winemaking is a Veneto specialty.  The fresh young wine that would simply be Valpolicella is allowed to re-ferment on the skins of the grapes that were pressed for Amarone and Recioto.  As these grapes were dried and the sugars concentrated, the wine picks up hints of this richness while maintaining its overall freshness.  The grapes for this wine come from a single vineyard called Seccal, which is particularly suited to developing this rich wine style.  The result is a rich, spicy warming wine that pairs beautifully a platter of cured meats and cheeses.

2003 Le Ragose Amarone della Valpolicella Classico $65/$58.50/$52

When we tell you that the name Amarone literally means “the big bitter one” and then taste the wine you will likely think that we are crazy.  The soft, dark fruit and silky nature of Amarone seems nothing like this misleading name.  Consider this however; Amarone, as a wine style, was a mistake.  The local Veronese tradition was actually to make the ripest grapes of corvina, rondinella and molinara into a dessert wine after a period of drying the grapes.  This dessert wine is called Recioto and exists happily today, but the Amarone “disaster” was a quite failed attempt by farmer /winemakers to make the sweet version, hence it’s ironic name, “the bitter one”! Today Amarone is one of Italy’s pillars amongst the long-lived wines of Barolo, Brunello and Vino Nobile and has always had an alluring quality to it.  The process of making Amarone is different than most wines in that the berries are actually dried on mats for a period of 4-5 months before pressing, vinification and eventual aging, which can take a long time.  Le Ragose is a traditionally styled Amarone, i.e. it uses high altitude vineyards for the best quality and freshness.  Fermentation takes place with the native yeasts only in stainless steel before 4-5 years of aging in large Slovenian oak casks.  400-600 cases are made only in great vintages.  Le Ragose is a family estate with its origins dating back to when the first Amarone “mistake” took place in the late 1800’s.