From gemma to wine - WINE-MAKING

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VALPOLICELLA CLASSICO
Valpolicella Classico is a young, ruby red wine with a pleasant fruity bouquet typical of the grape varieties used. It is a medium-bodied wine, traditional in style and suitable for all types of foods.
VALPOLICELLA CLASSICO SUPERIORE
Valpolicella Classico Superiore is another ruby red wine of medium intensity which tends to burgundy red as it ages. It has an intense bouquet and a dry and well-proportioned taste. This wine must be fined in oak barrels for at least a year and have a minimum of 12° alcohol strenght to merit the title "superiore".
VALPOLICELLA D.O.C. CLASSICO SUPERIORE
"Cru" "Semonte Alto", Valpolicella d.o.c. Classico Superiore, is a rich, heavybodied red with an intense fragrance, it is obtained using the ancient practice of "ripasso" in which the Valpolicella is allowed to re-ferment on the whole and slightly sweet marc of Amarone.
RECIOTO AND AMARONE
Recioto and Amarone are wines that are both produced using dried grapes. During the harvest the best bunches are chosen and left to dry on "plateaux" in well-aired and dried lofts called "fruttai". Drying may take from 3-4 months during which time the sugar content and other components like essence, glycerine and aromas increase. The dried grapes are pressed in February and fermentation is long and slow. Each day the grapes are stirred several times in order to obtain maximum extraction.
"Amarone" is transferred to Slavonian oak barrels for 2 years soon after racking off; further maturation takes place in the bottle for at least 10 more months.
For Amarone "Campomasua" the raisining of the grapes is extended by a month and ageing takes place in Slavonian or French oak barrels for two years, before continuing in the bottle for another year.
"Recioto" differs from "Amarone" in its large quantities of unfermented sugar and is therefore made using grapes that have been dried more at the end of March after they have lost approximately 40% of their weight.
The company obtains a magnificent wine, "Le Brugnine", "Recioto della Valpolicella d.o.c. Classico", from dried grapes from the "Le Brugnine" Vineyard which are made into wine at the end of March.
Maturation takes place in small French oak barrels for about 12 months.
PASSITO
In the heart of this land of red wines, the Venturini family also grows a white grape called "Garganega" from which a Veneto raisin wine typical of its geographic area is produced called "Il Castelliere". This wine is then matured in barrels.