Veneto & the veronese

Veneto, the huge province that spans the sea-level Lagoon of Venice to the peaks of the Alps, is bounded to the north by Trentino-Alto Adige, to the west by Lombardy, to the east by Friuli and the Adriatic, and to the south by Emilia-Romagna. The regional capital is Venice, located in the formerly malarial lagoon and swamps along the Adriatic Sea.

In the western portion of the region, just to the east of Lake Garda, lies the province of Verona, and in the hills between Verona and Vicenza, in the Monte Lessini, lies the wine Denominazione of Valpolicella.

The Lessini hills have been occupied since the Neolithic period, when it was a source of flint for tools and weapons. Viticulture was introduced to the Veneto by the ancient Greeks and extended by the Romans - this is one of the oldest viticultural areas in northern Italy.

After the fall of Rome, the area was briefly part of the Byzantine Imperial Exarchate of Ravenna, and by the 8th Century the Republic of Venice was one of the most important maritime powers in the Mediterranean. The Most Serene Republic of Venice, La Serenissima, lasted until the Napoleonic era when it was merged into the Kingdom of Lombardy-Venetia (a constituent Kingdom of the Austrian Empire) and then into the Kingdom of Italy.

Climate and terroir

Above the valley floor which has a humid Mediterranean climate, the land rises quickly into a continental and then subalpine zone. The Valpolicella region has mostly a mild to cool continental climate that is influenced by its proximity to Lake Garda to the west and the Adriatic Sea to the southeast. The coolest regions are in the Monti Lessini foothills to the north, where cool winds blow southward from the Alps. This area, between 500 and 1500ft, contains the most favorably situated vineyards and is traditionally classified as the classico zone. Towards the south and east, the climate gets warmer in the fertile plains of the Adige river.

The vineyard soils of the region range from morainic gravel near Lake Garda to more dolomite residual gravel with alluvial deposits in the fertile central plains.

seiterre

Founded in 1877 by Gian Batista Rizzi, Seiterre is a family firm that now owns a total of nine superb wine estates throughout northern Italy. Today, 4th-generation brothers Luigino and Claudo Rizzi manage these holdings, including the Ca del Lupo in Mezzane de Sotto, in the hills of Lessini in the Valpolicella Classico denominazione.

There are no white grapes allowed in Valpolicella, and the wines are produced from a blend of three indigenous varietals: Corvina, Molinara and Rondinella. Styles run from bright and fresh in Valpolicella, typically a bit fuller in Valpolicella Classico and Clasic o Superiore, riper and fuller still in various Ripasso versions created by adding grape solids back into the wines to referment and add body, and finally the rich, unctious wines of the Recioto della Valpolicella and Amarone styles.

The wines

Valpolicella Ripasso: Corvina, Molinara & Rondinella grown on calcareous clay soils at about 500ft elevation. Vinified in neutral oak and bottle conditioned before release. Ripe and succulent with savory and dessert spice notes. Pair with roast meats, meatballs in sauce, or slow braised dishes.