Wines from Veneto

There is this one moment when Graziano Merotto stops explaining and simply puts his glass down to observe his counterpart. This wine is that very special moment. Integral: undivided, unmediated, without abbreviation – bone dry.

At some point in the past, a small metal plate on the roof of the Castagnedi farmstead in the Monti Garbi moved in the wind – like a flag, a "bandina". A landmark for all those who knew these hills. Today, it is the name of the single vineyard that lies at the heart of the Tenuta. Colognola ai Colli, eastern Valpolicella: calcareous sandy soils at around 300 metres. This is the terroir that has belonged to the four Castagnedi brothers since 1995 and which characterises their wines with a characteristic balsamic: liquorice, white mint, graphite, China. Corvina and Corvinone form the backbone with 70%, Rondinella brings freshness, Croatina and Oseleta the flavour. Hand-picked in October, fermentation at a controlled temperature with certified organic yeasts, natural malo. Then aged for 24 months in 25-hectolitre French oak tonneaux – medium roasted, integrated, never dominant.

"This wine was born as a challenge. In 2004, when we started making it, ageing it in steel was against the general trend of ageing complex Soave wines in barrique. Today, we are glad that we took this risk." Graziano Prà

Lake Garda is white wine territory – lugana, Custoza and Soave dominate the perception. Zenato's Cabernet from the single vineyard Santa Cristina proves that serious red wines can also be produced here. The cuvée of 85% Cabernet Sauvignon and 15% Cabernet Franc combines Bordeaux noblesse with the mild microclimate of the lake. Three weeks of maceration in stainless steel with frequent pumping over extracts colour and structure. The wine then matures for 15–18 months in new and used French oak barriques before being left to rest for a further month in the bottle.

Zenato's world-famous Valpolicella Superiore, produced using the Ripasso method, is a rich wine offering excellent value. It is peppery, with earthy and stony notes that give way to black cherries and savoury herbs. It reveals deep, silky textures balanced by lively acidity, whilst ripe red and black fruits resonate beneath a hint of lavender. Zenato's Ripassa is concentrated and intense, yet conveys elegance and leaves a fresh note of violet sweets on the palate that lingers for a long time. SUPERIORE.DE

There are no fixed rules at Zýmē, only the pursuit of experimentation to offer a unique and honest experience that also conveys the character of each individual vintage. Il Bianco From Black to White (sealed with a glass cork) opens with a golden colour and a whitish sheen typical of grapes that have no skin contact. The predominant grape variety is Rondinella Bianca, a mutation that was only discovered by chance in the vineyards of Zýmē and is unique in Italy.

While the whole world was talking about the extinction of Trebbiano di Soave, the three Tessari sisters set out on a mission: to save an almost forgotten grape variety. In collaboration with Professor Attilio Scienza from the University of Milan, they selected the best clones of old Trebbiano vines and planted the Massifitti vineyard in 2006 – named after the "dense rocks", the large, compact basalt boulders that characterise the south-facing slope. Only two hectares at an altitude of 300 metres, where the volcanic minerality shows itself in its purest form. What is produced here is unique: probably the only single-varietal Trebbiano di Soave in the world. It matures for 15 months in stainless steel on the fine lees, then a further 12 months in the bottle before the sisters release it.

Lively ruby red colour. Dried cherry, small red berries, fresh eucalyptus, pepper and terracotta on the complex nose. Dry on the palate, very straightforward, pretty elegance on the mid-palate, beautiful herbaceous fruit, then some tangy acidity and well-proportioned tannins, leaving a crisp and very interesting overall impression. SUPERIORE.DE

Colle il Castello is the name of the steep hill that rises immediately behind the winery – so rugged that many would give it a wide berth. Graziano Merotto made a conscious decision to choose this isolated, challenging site: The conglomerate soil and the distinctive topography give the Castè a character that flatter vineyards cannot match. The result is regarded within the estate itself as the most typical expression of Prosecco Superiore DOCG. 2.32 hectares at 270 metres, Col San Martino, exclusively Glera. The grapes are left to macerate on their skins, gently pressed, and the resulting must then undergoes around sixty days of secondary fermentation directly in the autoclave, followed by approximately one hundred days of ageing on the lees.

Since the 2017 vintage, the word ‘Prosecco’ has no longer appeared on any bottle of Col Vetoraz. A deliberate decision – and a political one. According to the winery, the word is being misused, with the real risk of trivialising and erasing the centuries-old history and distinct character of the hills of Valdobbiadene and Conegliano. Since then, only “Valdobbiadene DOCG” – the sole, true territorial identity. The winery is situated at an altitude of just under 400 metres, at the highest point of the famous Cartizze hill in Santo Stefano di Valdobbiadene. The Miotto family has had roots here since 1838; Francesco Miotto, together with agronomist Paolo De Bortoli and Oenologist Loris Dall’Acqua, founded the current Col Vetoraz in 1993.

Bright, sparkling silver-grey with a persistent perlage. The nose is fragrant with white roses, juicy pears and white peach. Juicy on the palate, radiant and with a great fruity sweetness, it opens up with presence and balance, pleasantly dosed in all its facets. SUPERIORE.DE

St. John's Eve on 24 June is traditionally the day in Italy when the still unripe walnuts are harvested for Christmas. This time represents the ideal balsamic ripeness of the fruits, which are carefully selected, harvested by hand and then conscientiously prepared. This is followed by an infusion of cinnamon, lemon peel, cloves and sugar, followed by a further maceration period to extract the aromas from the botanicals. Only at the end of a further maturing does this fine nocino achieve the right balance from its various substances. SUPERIORE.DE

From one of the region's most famous winegrowers, this sparkling wine from a single vineyard shows the serious side of Valdobbiadene. A single vineyard from the year 2000, located directly in front of the winery and therefore close to the village. San Floriano opens with delicate scents of white spring flowers and white stone fruit. The elegant, unobtrusive palate draws all the attention to itself and offers creamy white peach, ripe green apple and a hint of citrus - and all this together with an extremely refined perlage. Delicious! SUPERIORE.DE

Monte Carbonare is grown on red volcanic iron-rich soils with an abundance of black basalt at their centre. Six hectares of 60–70-year-old vines in cooler locations, which, as the climate warms, are set to rise further to become the crème de la crème of the top vineyards. A richer wine than the younger Classico, but without the same cheeky vitality. Whilst the Classico is an unbeatable everyday wine, the Monte Carbonare is a complex wine that calls for food and a little more contemplation. Mirabelle plum, apricot kernel, a hint of dried mango and plenty of smoky, sharp minerality, with a dutiful freshness that brings wonderful length. SUPERIORE.DE

An elegant, finely sparkling and invigorating Prosecco Brut with irresistible charm. Straw yellow, crystal clear and clean, with fresh aromas of white peach and apple, wonderfully light, yet precise, fruity and with a fine salty note on the palate. SUPERIORE.DE

Distilled from the pomace of the legendary Venegazzù della Casa – the Bordeaux blend that has been making history here on the Montello since the 1950s. Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Malbec provide the aromatic basis for this classic Grappa Bianca. Distillation is carried out using the traditional discontinuous method in a water bath (bagnomaria), in which small copper stills gently extract the fine flavours of the grape skins – a process that takes time but guarantees elegance.

Tenuta Sansonina is situated in the south of Lake Garda, not far from Sirmione – where the lake breathes across the hills and the soils tell the story of what the last Ice Age left behind: A deep, clayey mixture of chalk and silt that stores water, buffers heat and gives the Turbiana grape that distinctive minerality which sets Lugana apart from everything else. Thirteen hectares, organically farmed, with vines around sixty years old – vines that know just how deep they need to reach. 100 per cent Trebbiano di Lugana, hand-harvested and carefully selected before the grapes reach the winery. The must is first cold-fermented statically, then ferments for around ten to twelve days in stainless steel at a controlled temperature. Six months’ ageing in stainless steel tanks, followed by one month in the bottle: no oak, no interference, just the wine and its terroir.

Anyone who knows Amarone knows it from the history of Recioto. According to tradition, Italy's most famous red wine was created by chance: a Recioto that was fermented too long in the barrel – until none of the sweetness remained. What began as a mistake became a legend. But the Recioto itself, the older of the two, was almost forgotten. Wrongly so. In Valpolicella Classico, the upper, wide-open wings of the grape panicles are called "Recie" – ears. It is these wings that hang the highest, are most exposed to the sun and ripen the most. They are carefully selected for the Recioto and harvested by hand – at the end of September, when the season has reached its peak in the hills of Marano di Valpolicella on calcareous Eocene soils between 200 and 350 metres.

"Classico" is not just a marketing term in Valpolicella – it is a geographical designation. The Classico zone refers to the historic heart of the wine-growing region: those hills between Verona and Lake Garda, where Corvina Veronese has been at home for centuries and where the Allegrini family has been making wine since the 16th century. It was Giovanni Allegrini who, in the 1970s, initiated a leap in quality with the Guyot system and higher planting density, transforming the entire Valpolicella region. The Superiore differs from the standard Valpolicella due to a decision made in the cellar: whilst the Classico remains in steel, the Superiore spends six months in large oak barrels, followed by a further two months in concrete tanks – a sequence that harmonises structure, depth and fresh precision. Hand-harvested in the second half of September, 9 days’ maceration in steel.

Lugana as a sparkling wine? The idea sounds unusual, but Sergio Zenato had been pursuing it ever since the winery was founded in the 1960s. He recognised early on that Trebbiano di Lugana, with its delicate acidity and aromatic purity, offers ideal conditions for traditional bottle fermentation. Hand-harvested in mid-September, gently pressed as whole bunches, fermented with natural yeasts at 16°C in stainless steel. Then comes the crucial step: the second fermentation in the bottle according to the Metodo Classico – the same process used in Champagne. The spumante matures sur lie for a full 24 months before remuage and dégorgement release its delicate aromas.

An unusual cuvée in the still: Riva Vecia combines Cabernet and Glera marc (the Prosecco grape), the soul of the two wine worlds of Loredan Gasparini, in a single distillate. Where other grappas are single-varietal, Venegazzù takes the assemblage route, as with the famous Capo di Stato. Distillation is carried out using the traditional discontinuous method in a water bath, the gentle bagnomaria process in small copper stills.