Pietro Zardini, Valpolicella

This is a serious Valpolicella, vibrant, generous, and full of character. Pietro Zardini’s Valpolicella Classico pours a lively ruby red with just a flicker of garnet at the rim. On the nose, it’s velvety and elegant, laced with hints of dried fruits, a touch of spice, and a subtle rustic charm. On the palate, it’s smooth, full-bodied, and supple, with that lovely Italian food-friendliness. 

This is proper Valpolicella, grown in the heart of a region that’s been producing wine for over 2,000 years. Today, Valpolicella is one of Italy’s most important wine zones, with over 8,000 hectares under vine, producing more than 60 million bottles a year. Remarkably, Pietro Zardini is still doing it the old-fashioned way. His family has worked these red and brown soils since the 1600s, and every bottle tells a piece of that story. The grapes are hand-harvested, gently macerated on their skins, and aged for up to 10 months in oak to bring out texture and spice, followed by time in steel for freshness.