FFWD Weekly
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| BOOZE Italy's Veneto region is best known for its capital, Venezia (Venice), a magnificent, crumbling city that has captured the imagination of artists and romantics alike for centuries. Besides its sinking jewel of a capital, the Veneto also yields some of Italy's finest wines, from crisp and flavorful white Soaves to the rich, powerful reds known as Amarone. Fertile soil and a mild climate make this the most bountiful of Italy's northern wine-producing regions. To the north lies the Alps, providing a spectacular barrier from much of the inclement weather that would otherwise sweep across the river basins of the interior, as well as trapping in the heat generated by the warm Adriatic coast. The westerly side of the Veneto is home to the city of Verona, and though not as famous as Venice, it remains a popular destination as it also has many charms. (It's not sinking into a lagoon, for one.) Verona's wine-making history goes back to about 1000 BC, and modern times find the city home to the largest wine trade exhibition in the country, Vinitaly, which runs each year in April. The Etruscans were one of the first civilizations to recognize the Veneto as a superior region in which to produce wine, and the region remains loyal to the native vines and wine-making styles established throughout their history. Of late, a few traditional French varietals, especially chardonnay, cabernet sauvignon and merlot, have yielded some good results and are being planted in increasing numbers. It is the native varietals, however, that continue to garnish most of the attention. In Verona's Lessini Hills (a volcanic massif) you will find the two mainstays of the Veneto: the white wine of Soave and the red wines of Valpolicella. Soave relies on the garganega grape to give the wine its personality, with other varietals such as trebbiano di soave, chardonnay and pinot bianco filling out the remainder of the blend. Italy exports massive amounts of Soave around the world, the majority of which are crisp, simply styled white wines. There are, however, some very good Soaves that rise above the usual offerings, one of which is made by Roberto Anselmi ($14, widely available), who also makes one of Italy's best dessert wines, the Recioto dei Capitelli. Recioto is a term that applies to wines made from grapes that have been dried on racks in airy lofts until they start to resemble raisins, often encouraging botrytis (also known as noble rot) for the sweet wines. The major red wines of the Veneto are Bardolino, Valpolicella and Amarone. These wines rely primarily on three native varietals, corvina, rondinella and molinara, though a number of other varietals can be used. Bardolino mainly produces light, often acidic reds and rosés, as well as their own version of Beaujolais nouveau, vini novelli. Top notch Bardolino is rarely seen here, so we tend to look to Valpolicella for the best red wines. A good Valpolicella from a reputable producer (such as Bertani, $13, or Masi's Campo Fiorin, $14, both widely available) will show a delicious core of ripe cherries, particularly those made using the ripasso method. Ripasso simply means repassed, whereby the fermented, unpressed skins of the dried grapes used in Amarone are re-fermented with the basic Valpolicella, giving it additional depth and flavor. And finally, there is the great red wine known as Amarone. It is usually found bottled as either Recioto della Valpolicella Amarone or as Amarone della Valpolicella. Either way, it is made in the recioto method, utilizing the dried grapes common to Valpolicella. Botrytis is generally not encouraged for Amarone, although a sweet red wine (Recioto della Valpolicella) is produced in limited quantities. The use of dried grapes is evident in this wine, giving it a unique, raisin-like taste combined with a good punch of alcohol, usually in the 14 to 18-per-cent range. As this is one of Italy's truly great wines, it is usually priced accordingly. Boscaini's basic Amarone sells for around $24, and is almost always a good buy. Their 1990 single vineyard Ca de Loi is in the $40 range, and is destined for a good 10 years of cellaring, but will provide ample rewards to those with enough patience (and money). Also in the $40 range are the Amarones of Allegrini. Founded by the late Giovanni Allegrini and now run by his children, this estate produces wines that rank among the best for Valpolicella and Amarone. Other reputable producers that you can find locally include Masi, La Ragose, Zenato, Fabiano and Zonin. The 1990 vintage produced many stellar wines from this region, as it did for much of Italy, but wines from this vintage are becoming increasingly rare. What often separates a great winemaker from the rest is the ability to make a good wine in adverse conditions. Allegrini's 1991 Amarone is a good example of this, as the region was besieged by rain during the harvest period (which often spells disaster for the vintage), yet they still managed to produce an amazingly rich, complex wine that will drink well for another five to 10 years. So whether you're looking for good bargains or collectible Amarones, discover the wines from Italy's Veneto - you won't be disappointed. Salute! |