Veneto, Italy From Bertani vineyards located in the communes of Quinto, Grezzana, and Santa Maria in the Valpantena district of northeast Italy, near the historic city of Verona.
Wine maker notes
Made with the recioto technique. This classic dessert wine is made from carefully selected, fully ripened grapes that, immediately following harvest, are partially dried in farmhouses on traditional straw mats called arelle for up to 150 days to concentrate the sugars. The grapes are then pressed and the juice undergoes slow fermentation for approximately 30 days or until 13-14% alcohol is reached. At this point, fermentation is halted to preserve the desired level of natural grape sugar. The resulting wine is aged for 18 months in Allier barriques (50% new, 50% 1-year-old) followed by a period of refinement in bottle.
Technical notes
13% abv
Food pairing
Delicious with Pand’oro and Panettone breads, pastries, dark chocolate, and creamy cheeses. Also excellent when served chilled on its own.
Producer
Prosperous wine merchants who believed that quality winemaking held the key to the future, the Bertanis invested their funds in buying some of the finest vineyards in the province and making their own wines. Consequently, unlike many other local producers, Bertani owns its own vineyards and so is able to oversee the entire winemaking cycle from start to finish. Recognition and success followed swiftly as Bertani became one of the first Veronese producers to export its wines on a significant scale. In the early years Bertani spearheaded a campaign to underscore the potential of Verona’s Valpolicella Valpantena wine district. The release of its Secco-Bertani Valpantena brand, still in production over 150 years later, is responsible for putting this DOC on the map. The late 1950s saw Bertani take center stage again, with the launch of a new-style Recioto della Valpolicella. Through the introduction of longer aging techniques, this traditionally sweet or sparkling red wine was dramatically transformed into the dry, opulent red we know today as Amarone, one of Italy’s most revered red wines. Recent years have been no less eventful. In 1986 an extraordinary cache of 1928 Recioto della Valpolicella Acinatico was discovered, bricked up behind the walls of a farmhouse on a Bertani estate where it had lain undisturbed since the twilight years of World War II. Tastings by experts confirm that the wine’s quality remains intact. A superb vintage, as exceptional as it is rare, it is served exclusively at charity events hosted by Bertani. To maintain its extensive vineyards, Bertani engages the skills of some of Italy’s most eminent viticulturalists. From its vineyards to its cellars, Bertani offers a fascinating and memorable introduction to Veronese winemaking at its best, where progressive techniques and equipment are allied with extensive experience and a deeply felt respect for tradition.
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