Enticing Valpolicella

                                  Sensational Lake Garda is home to Valpolicella wines

How can you possibly go wrong with a wine district whose name means “valley of many wine cellars?”  Another no-brainer:  its location is between the magical cities of Venice and Verona.  Last, add to the equation that the stupendously beautiful Lake Garda is part of the wine region.  Valpolicella is compelling on all of these levels, and many more.

Wines have been made in the Valpolicella district since the time of the ancient Greeks before the birth of Christ.  In 1968 the region was awarded its own DOC (appellation) by the Italian Government.  Since then, parts of the district have been bestowed a further award by the granting of a special DOCG to the area's Amarone wines.  (Amarone, the region’s pricey flagship wine, will be discussed soon in a future article.)

Valpolicella is both a wine-producing district and a wine.  Red is the dominant color.  Reds are made from a combination of grapes, all mostly unknown to Americans.  Corvina, the main varietal, is blended with other grapes such as Rondinella and Moninara.   The most basic level Valpolicellas are light-bodied, lower in alcohol, and noted for their cherry flavor.  Valpolicella Superiore wines, however, must be aged a minimum of one year in oak barrels.  The Superiore is more complex and offers more structure along with more intense aromas of dried cherries.  Often times the Superiore version is made using an old wine making method in which the aristocratic skins remaining from the area’s powerful Amarone wines are mixed in with Superiore must and undergo a secondary fermentation.

Both levels of Valpolicella wines frequently offer great quality/price ratios on wine lists.  Equally important, these wines pair well with most foods.  The Superiore is especially nice with grilled poultry and meats, and can stand up to pastas that use strong cheeses such as Parmigiano-Reggiano.

Wine-Knows will be in the Valpolicella district next year on its Northern Italy & Truffle Tour in early October 2018.  Moreover, we’ll be staying on the historic estate of one of the area’s best Valpolicella and Amarone producers, Serego Alighieri (descendants of one of Italy’s most famous authors, Dante Alighieri).   Availability on this tour is just two spaces.  www.WineKnowsTravel.com.

Summer Reds

                           Pinots, Grenache and Frappoto make for great summer drinking

A light bodied red wine can be the spot-on choice for a hot summer’s day.  Perfect summertime grapes include Pinot Noir, Grenache, and Frappoto.  All of these grape varietals are thin-skinned, therefore, don’t offer a lot of tannin (not the best ingredient during the heat of the summer).

Pinot Noir, grown in cool climate areas (think Sonoma vs. Napa), is a terrific summer wine that can pair both with meats and fish.  Pinot flavor profile includes cherries and strawberries, but interesting spice or floral notes can make this varietal a compelling wine.   Pinot Noir is the hallmark grape of Burgundy, but red Burgundies are usually expensive.  For something more affordable look for great Pinots that are made in the Russian River of California… not far from the cooler Pacific Coast.  Oregon’s Willamette Valley also produces some stunners.  All Pinot Noirs below are highly recommended.

·        Russian River:  I particularly like Dehlinger.

·        Oregon:  Ponzi, Adelsheim, Domaine Droughin or Soter all produce excellent wines.

·        Burgundy:  Jadot produces both high-end, as well as some less costly wines.

Grenache is the world’s most planted red grape.  It is becoming more popular, especially among California vintners.  A Rhone varietal (one of the grapes used in Chateauneuf du Pape), it is also grown in Spain where it is known as Garnacha.  California’s Central Coast is also having very good success with this varietal, but they are using it primarily in blends.  The Grenache grape is full of red fruit flavors (strawberries and raspberries).  While it has good structure, Grenache’s tannins are background notes.  The wine works especially well with grilled chicken, but also can swing to lamb or beef.   My faves include....

• Spain:  look no further than Arryan’s La Suerte Mentrida. 
• Central Coast:  Best includes Tablas Creek, Zaca Mesa and Justin.
• Chateauneuf du Pape:  Beaucastel is the bomb. 

·      Frapatto is one of my favorites for summer time.  Hailing from Sicily, Frapotto is a fun summer wine that usually everyone likes.  Relatively unknown in the US until recently, Frapotto is starting to appear on our wine lists.  Often blended with Sicily’s famous Nero d’Avola grape, Frapotto is more and more being vinified as its own varietal.  Think strawberries.   It’s a real hero with fish.  Best producers are Planeta and Orcchipenti.

     Paint the remainder of the summer Red!

50 Shades of Red

There must be at least 50 shades of reds and rosés.  For sake of brevity, I’m narrowing mine to 5 which are listed below, starting with the darkest and ending with the lightest.

Deepest Red: 

Syrah is the darkest colored wine of any varietal.   These deep color pigments are also anti-oxidants, hence, exert a protective cardiac function.    My favorite Syrah, without question, is Guigal’s La Turque…the earth moved when I first sipped it nearly 15 years ago.  If you don’t want to splurge on this Rhone rendition, opt for Alban Syrah from California Central Coast which is a superbly crafted alternative.

Medium Red:

Grenache is the clear winner here for me.  This grape has been made popular by winemakers in the Rhone Valley and Spain, however, it’s becoming increasing popular in the U.S. as a light-bodied red that can pair well with fish and poultry.  Chateauneuf de Papes are Grenache-based.  Try Chateaux  Beaucastel, Le Nerthe or Rayas for France’s best.  If you’re looking for a California version, you can’t beat the Central Coast’s Sine Qua Non.      

Light Red:

Pinot Noir falls into this category, however, there are easily 10 shades of this varietal at any moderate-sized wine emporium.  Pinot’s skin, which is thin and delicate, has only a small amount of color pigments thus these wines can be very light in color.   If it were a special occasion (and price were not a huge stumbling block) I would opt for a Red Burgundy such as Drouhin’s  Clos de Mouche.  If it were a special occasion and I needed to mindful of price, I would choose  Dehlingner (Russian River, California).

Coral:

Billecart-Salmon’s Brut Rosé Champagne immediately comes to my mind for the premier choice in this shade grouping.  Made from approximately 30% of Pinot Noir, the color is a show-stopper.  Why not have a pure love-fest with the coral and serve it with smoked salmon appetizers?

Light Pink: 

I’m not a fan of any brand related to Hollywood celebrities.  My husband recently brought home several bottles of Miraval (Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt’s Rosé from Provence.)   Reluctantly I tried it and was wowed by its complexity.  These two have a serious Oscar contender for Rosé.