Day Six Continued: Sartori Di Verona
Sartori Winery
Carmen Stirn responsible for marketing at Sartori di Verona met us as we parked our car in the expansive parking area, We were led to what was a 17th Century mansion now the home and business of Sartori Di Verona. Andrea Sartori was sitting at his desk, cigar in hand and talking on the phone.
Greg and I went in to meet him and were graciously welcomed. The home/vineyard was bought by the Pietro Sartori in 1898 to ensure a supply of wine for his hotel business. His son, Regalo, fell in love with the whole concept of wine and the winery and the rest is history. The company now makes 18,000,000 bottles per year and ships to 65 countries---main shipping areas being
United Kingdom, Germany, North America, Singapore. The company even ships to Nepal.
The quest for quality products had led Sartori down many paths--one of which, was a 2001 agreement with the 800 member Cantina Colognola di Colli which is one of the largest groups of wineries in Veneto. Tne company now makes a large variety of wines that includes Lugana, Bardolino, Bardolino Classico, Soave, Soave Classico, Valpolicell, Valpolicella Classico and Custoza. The Estate
Carmen took us on a tour of the estate. At the back there is a vineyard, a sort of laboratory, that is planted with different and somewhat unusually sounding grape varieties: Ancelotta, Roseletto, Croatina which were among the Valpolicella species: Molinara and Corvina.
We made our way past the back of the mansion to the cellars where Oak, Stainless Steel and Concrete fermentation tanks rested. Carmen mentioned that the estate was occupied by German troups in the Second World War and drank a great deal of the wine. Some wineries, she said, built false walls to hide their wines. We also saw a Bomb Shelter built to protect the owners.
Wine Tasting
We were escorted to the expansive gardens where a table was set up with various Sartori products. We tasted Marani Bianco---a white wine that wants to be a red--- from the Soave hills just east of Verona. It was made from 100% Garganega grapes which were dryed for over one month to reduce water and increase concentration. The wine had a nose of tropical fruit, citrus and honey with a palate that was full flavoured if not creamy in spots.
The next wine was an Amarone di Valpolicella "Corte Bra". The Corvina, Rodinella, Veronese, Molinara blend of grapes were aged for 3 months and then fermented. The resultant product is then aged 4 years in Oak with a further 12 months in barriques.
On the nose it had some red/black fruit with a spicy aroma. On the palate it was round, velvety and with ripe red fruit flavours.
Dinner
We had dinner at the luxurious and artsy, Byblos Art Hotel (Villa Amista). The Ristorante Atelier left nothing to chance. Three magnificently decorated rooms were just part of the hotel's celebration of art with 18th Century paintings "rubbing elbows" with some of the most artistic and (maybe controversial") elaborate photographs/painting studies anywhere.
Not to be forgotton, the 15th Century Cellars house over 300 types of wines and the kitchen is a legend.
Daniele Cristanelli, Export Manager for Sartori was our host and a fine host he was. He ordered the Marani Bianco, Regolo Ripasso and Recitio della Valpolicella Classico for dessert.
The Marani went well with the Aperitif entree and the First Course of Scallops and Mussels. With my main course of Escalope of Fresh Tuna Marinated with Spicy Roots, the Regolo Valpolicaella Ripasso was excellent. I just had a small desert wtih which the Recitio della Valpolicella Classico went quite well, though this lucious but not cloyingly sweet wine could have been great by itself.
As a matter of fact. that is what I ligked most about the Sartori wines that I tasted. They went well by themselves both as a contemplation drink or just a fine wine time.
The evening ended with me having the usual coffee and then we called it a night. We did make plans to meet with Luca Sartori, President of the Consortzio Valpolicella at Villa Amista the next day to film an interview.
End Of Day Six
Carmen Stirn responsible for marketing at Sartori di Verona met us as we parked our car in the expansive parking area, We were led to what was a 17th Century mansion now the home and business of Sartori Di Verona. Andrea Sartori was sitting at his desk, cigar in hand and talking on the phone.
Greg and I went in to meet him and were graciously welcomed. The home/vineyard was bought by the Pietro Sartori in 1898 to ensure a supply of wine for his hotel business. His son, Regalo, fell in love with the whole concept of wine and the winery and the rest is history. The company now makes 18,000,000 bottles per year and ships to 65 countries---main shipping areas being
United Kingdom, Germany, North America, Singapore. The company even ships to Nepal.
The quest for quality products had led Sartori down many paths--one of which, was a 2001 agreement with the 800 member Cantina Colognola di Colli which is one of the largest groups of wineries in Veneto. Tne company now makes a large variety of wines that includes Lugana, Bardolino, Bardolino Classico, Soave, Soave Classico, Valpolicell, Valpolicella Classico and Custoza. The Estate
Carmen took us on a tour of the estate. At the back there is a vineyard, a sort of laboratory, that is planted with different and somewhat unusually sounding grape varieties: Ancelotta, Roseletto, Croatina which were among the Valpolicella species: Molinara and Corvina.
We made our way past the back of the mansion to the cellars where Oak, Stainless Steel and Concrete fermentation tanks rested. Carmen mentioned that the estate was occupied by German troups in the Second World War and drank a great deal of the wine. Some wineries, she said, built false walls to hide their wines. We also saw a Bomb Shelter built to protect the owners.
Wine Tasting
We were escorted to the expansive gardens where a table was set up with various Sartori products. We tasted Marani Bianco---a white wine that wants to be a red--- from the Soave hills just east of Verona. It was made from 100% Garganega grapes which were dryed for over one month to reduce water and increase concentration. The wine had a nose of tropical fruit, citrus and honey with a palate that was full flavoured if not creamy in spots.
The next wine was an Amarone di Valpolicella "Corte Bra". The Corvina, Rodinella, Veronese, Molinara blend of grapes were aged for 3 months and then fermented. The resultant product is then aged 4 years in Oak with a further 12 months in barriques.
On the nose it had some red/black fruit with a spicy aroma. On the palate it was round, velvety and with ripe red fruit flavours.
Dinner
We had dinner at the luxurious and artsy, Byblos Art Hotel (Villa Amista). The Ristorante Atelier left nothing to chance. Three magnificently decorated rooms were just part of the hotel's celebration of art with 18th Century paintings "rubbing elbows" with some of the most artistic and (maybe controversial") elaborate photographs/painting studies anywhere.
Not to be forgotton, the 15th Century Cellars house over 300 types of wines and the kitchen is a legend.
Daniele Cristanelli, Export Manager for Sartori was our host and a fine host he was. He ordered the Marani Bianco, Regolo Ripasso and Recitio della Valpolicella Classico for dessert.
The Marani went well with the Aperitif entree and the First Course of Scallops and Mussels. With my main course of Escalope of Fresh Tuna Marinated with Spicy Roots, the Regolo Valpolicaella Ripasso was excellent. I just had a small desert wtih which the Recitio della Valpolicella Classico went quite well, though this lucious but not cloyingly sweet wine could have been great by itself.
As a matter of fact. that is what I ligked most about the Sartori wines that I tasted. They went well by themselves both as a contemplation drink or just a fine wine time.
The evening ended with me having the usual coffee and then we called it a night. We did make plans to meet with Luca Sartori, President of the Consortzio Valpolicella at Villa Amista the next day to film an interview.
End Of Day Six
posted by Chuck Byers - Wine Consultant | 4:21 PM
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