Valpolicella's big moment, again

Lucia Raimondi of Villa Monteleone alerted us to today's article in the Washington Post (click here) devoted to Valpolicella -- the wines and the wine-tourist destination. The reporter's time with Lucia is most favorably presented at the beginning of the piece, so we are all delighted with the line inches her winery received.

A view of the grounds at Villa Monteleone

The entire story is really a love letter to a beautiful area that has suffered for decades under the onus of -- how shall I say this diplomatically -- Bollaism. Bolla is, as we all know, the huge producer that popularized, and watered down disastrously, all the hallowed Veronese names back in the '70s and '80s. Valpolicella. Soave. Bardolino. All those production areas became synonymous in America with the inferior product Bolla pumped out by the millions of cases.

It has taken years of hard work by individual producers like Lucia at Villa Monteleone, and our Soave producer, I Stefanini, to begin to reverse these impressions. The consorzi (trade associations) have labored hard as well, and I think their brand-reclamation efforts have been moderately effective.

But the proof, always, is the wine in the glass. 

Cin cin, Lucia!  

 

Comments

[Alex]

@ Terry,
thanks for the link.
The journalist has picked the essence of our region.

There is an other article on the W. Post worth reading, it's about Soave.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/05/25/AR2010052501095.html?waporef=obinsite

Ciao from Verona.
alex

[Strappo]

Yes, I had read that one. But he didn't mention I Stefanini. Bah! Big mistake!