There is a rich wine diversity in the Veneto area. This is the land of Valpolicella wines, which are amongst the most loved Italian wines of all time.
The Tedeschi family has a long history with the vines in the area. For four generations they have showcased the value of indigenous grape varieties such as Corvina, Corvinone and Rondinella. Their winery is located in the heart of the Valpolicella Classica.
I had the pleasure of meeting Sabrina Tedeschi from the Tedeschi Winery late last year during a portfolio tasting where I sampled 6 of her wines.
The winery is currently led by 3 siblings: Antonietta, Riccardo and Sabrina.
Their unique family style came into existence in the early sixties when their father had the happy intuition to vinify separately the grapes from the Monte Olmi vineyard, giving rise to one of the very first cru of Valpolicella as well as a wine that has become their winery’s standard-bearer.
Join me while we discover Sabrina’s wine journey and her family’s wine heritage.
Sabrina, How did you get started in wine?
I was born in a fermentor. This is what one of my professors said when I was studying my Master's degree.
My father Lorenzo transmitted the genes of enthusiasm, inquisitiveness, and stimuli together with the passion for vines and wine process knowledge.
I studied a Master's degree in Food Technology at the Agronomic University of Milan and my tutor was Corrado Cantarelli, the President of the Food Industry department. He encouraged me to accept a six-month experience in France at the Oenology University in Burgundy with Michele Feuillat. Both Cantarelli and Feuillat were two luminaries in the Food and Wine industry and the experience and knowledge they transmitted to me was fundamental in my academic growth.
Once I had my Master’s degree, I taught Oenology and Microbiology at the Oenology School of the Institute of San Michele All’Adige which is to this day, the top oenology school in Italy.
In January 2000 I joined my family wine business in Valpolicella, sharing responsibilities with my sister Antonietta and my brother Riccardo, the winemaker. I am currently in charge of Marketing and also manage part of the export sales. I’m a proud member of the Donne del Vino Association (Women in Wine).
From the wines in your portfolio, is there one you reach for the most? For example, the wine you drink the most and why?
The wine I drink the most is the Valpolicella Superiore Capitel Nicalò or Maternigo Valpolicella Cru Wine Selection. Valpolicella is our daily wine, it is fruity and fresh and thanks to its high acidity, it makes the perfect wine to pair with food. I also enjoy the Valpolicella Ripasso Superiore Capitel San Rocco. This one is an approachable wine as well, food-friendly and versatile. I always like wines with character, that are elegant and present rich and fresh aromas. One sip calls for another sip 😊
We met at the Wine Cru tasting in September last year. On that day, we tasted 6 of your wines. Can you choose one and tell us its story?
These are the wines we tasted: a) Amarone 'Marne 180', 2019; b) Amarone 'Marne 180', 2016; c) Amarone 'Marne 180', 2011; d) Amarone 'Marne 180', 2008; e) Amarone Riserva 'Monte Olmi', 2016 and f) Recioto 'Capitel Fontana', 2019.
It is difficult to choose just one wine, all of them have a family story!
Let’s start with the Amarone Riserva Monte Olmi 2016.
Today, Monte Olmi is a wine that is emblematic of the winery and the territory. Monte Olmi is the name of our historic vineyard, that has belonged to the Tedeschi family since 1918. The vineyard extends over 2.5 hectares and sits at an altitude of 130 meters above sea level plus it has a southwestern exposure. Due to its position on a steep incline, over the years it has become necessary to build a sustaining drywall made from local stones. Today, after recent renovations, the terracing allows the vines to be grown according to the Veronese Pergola system. Geologically, the area rests on yellow calcarenite and calcareous-marly rock from the middle Eocene epoch.
The year 1964 marked a turning point for the Tedeschi wines. This is when our father Lorenzo had the intuition to vinify separately the grapes from the Monte Olmi vineyard, thus creating one of the very first Cru from Valpolicella. The wine has delicate fruit that is enhanced with ageing and has spiked notes of balsamic. Because it is a small parcel, the production is rare and limited to 10,000 bottles per year.
The Marne 180 Amarone della Valpolicella DOCG is also a very important label of our family. The production is more generous (about 150, 000 bottles per year) because the wine is produced with grapes that come from various vineyards from the hills of Valpolicella.
Marne means marl, the variety of soil on which we’ve planted our vineyards. Our vineyards have 180 degrees of exposure, from South-West to South-East. The wines produced here are characterised by their aromatic freshness. These are vertical wines with great structure and balance as well as good acidity, making them a great match for food. I like to pair them with moderately spiced foods, red meat, game as well as aged cheeses. The Amarone wines know how to surprise and delight!
*This map will help you get a snapshot of the region. Here you can see the location of Amarone della Valpolicella DOCG, Valpolicella Classico DOC, Valpolicella DOC, Recioto della Valpolicella and Soave Classico DOC.
This map is from the Book "Explore Wine Maps, World Edition" by Amble Wine. This book has become our bible for wine maps. If you want yours, we have a discount for you. Enter the code THEWINESNUG at checkout when purchasing at their website.**
What do you think is the most interesting thing happening right now, in the world of wine?
We can consider many aspects.
I think wine lovers/consumers are rediscovering terroir-driven wines and also, searching for more drinkable and food-friendly wines. Sure, in general, the trend is that consumers are drinking less but they are paying careful attention to the quality of the wines they are drinking. The demand for fine wine is increasing little by little. On our side, it is better to produce less quantity but keep high quality. Tedeschi has been taking care of premium and high-premium wines for many decades, dismissing massive production.
On the production side, we are facing climate change, every vintage is a challenge, and we must do a lot of research to keep and improve as much as possible the quality of our wines. It was and it is a great idea to invest in the hills area, where we manage the climate better than the plains.
We are happy to pass on a message to the people in Ireland. What would you like to tell them about your wines?
Tedeschi produces powerful, elegant wines that are graced with big personalities and typicality. Their colour, aroma and taste express the strong character of the people who produce the wine and also the characteristics of our terroir.
When you drink a Tedeschi wine you can experience the smoothness of the hills where the grapes are grown and the richness and complexity of the history and traditions preserved in Valpolicella.
If you want to try Sabrina's wines, you are spoiled for choice.
For tasting the sumptuous Amarones head to Adare Manor, Asador, Ballyfin Demesne, Bang, Craft, Rugged Lane, Lennan's Yard or The Dylan Hotel.
You can also find them in these wine shops: Blackrock Cellar, Clontarf Wines, Deveneys Dundrum, D-Six off Licence, Higgins Off Licence, Redmonds, Jus de Vine or World Wide Wines.
Stay tuned for more interviews with wonderful women in wine and don't forget to follow The Wine Snug in social for All Things Wine.
--This post is not sponsored. I have tasted the wines I mentioned in this article and can genuinely recommend them--
Bio
Sabrina Maria Tedeschi is one of the 3 Italian siblings leading the Tedeschi Winery. She has a Master's degree in Food Technology from the Agronomic University of Milan. Since 2000, she joined the family business and she is in charge of Marketing and promoting the Tedeschi wines worldwide.
To learn more about Tedeschi Wines, you can visit their website here.
If you are interested in stocking Tedeschi wines, visit Solera Wines.
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