Behind the Cork™ - Scaia Corvia

2018 Scaia Corvina ($14)

The Scaia project was launched by Tenauta Sant’Antonio in 2006 with the aim of creating wines with a modern style outside the restrictions by Italy’s denomination system. And, this is a fine example of working just outside of those restrictions.

The grapes for this wine are from the eastern part of the Valpolicella region in Italy. But, to be labelled as a Valpolicella, it would need to be comprised of 45 to 95% Corvina. This wine is 100% Corvina, so does not meet the law for a Valpolicella and so it’s labelled as a Corvina varietal.

This Scaia Corvina was fermented and aged in stainless steel tanks to retain the bright fruit flavors. It underwent Malolactic conversion and then spent six months in the bottle before going to market.

This wine is pale purple in color and very light on the nose with just hints of red fruit aromas. On the palate it remains light with sour cherry flavor, light tannins and nice acidity on the finish.

If you love the cherry flavors of Valpolicella or Chianti, you’ll love this wine. And, at this price, it’s another great fit to be a Behind the Cork™ wine of week. Cheers!

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Disclosure of Sample Submission: I received this sample at no cost for review. The opinions expressed are entirely my own.

Samples Provided by Katherine Jarvis, The Jarvis Communication Team

The Four Styles of Valpolicella Wine

Valpolicella (val-polla-chellah) is an Italian wine region that covers 95 square miles across the western part of the Veneto region.

There are four primary styles of Valpolicella. In the order from least to most intensity they are: Valpolicella, Valpolicella Ripasso, Amarone della Valpolicella and Recioto della Valpolicella. These wines are all made with the same grapes (Corvina, Corvinone, Rondinella and Molinara) but the wine-making techniques is what differentiates them.

So, here’s a brief overview of each style.

Valpolicella - This wine is fresh and fruity and the lightest style. It typically has bright aromas and sour cherry flavor that is so typical of many northern Italian red wines. It should be slightly chilled and enjoyed with lighter fare or simply as a refreshing fruity wine on a warm afternoon. Wines labelled as Valpolicella Classico come from the original Valpolicella zone. To be labelled as Valpolicella Superiore, the wine must be aged a minimum of one year in wood and have a minimum alcohol level of 12%

Ripasso - This style is just a bigger version of Valpolicella. It gains it added flavor because it is produced using the Ripasso method of wine making. It starts with the basics used in making the Valpolicella wine, but adds a second fermentation that takes advantage of the pomace - the leftover grape skins that remain after the grapes are pressed for the Amarone and Recioto styles that are described below. By doing this second fermentation with the dried pomace, this style of wine has raisin-like notes that give it a fuller, richer flavor.

Amarone - Amarone may translate to “big bitter” but don’t let that fool you. This style has concentrated flavors of dark fruit and raisins. This is achieved by drying the grapes on mats, racks (see photo) or hanging them from rafters for extended periods (weeks or months) after harvest. Known as the appassimento process, the dried fruit concentrates the flavors and sugars. The result is a wine with big flavor and alcohol levels that can reach up to 17% ABV.

Recioto - This is a dessert wine made from dried grapes. Similar to the process for used for Amarone, this fruit is dried for up to 200 days. This further concentrates the flavors and sugars. The dried grapes are then used to produce this wine but the fermentation is halted before all of the sugar is converted to alcohol. This results in a very sweet wine that still retains its natural acidity.

The Veneto Wine Region of Italy

The Veneto wine region is located in the north-eastern part of Italy between Milan and Venice. Its geography includes the foothills of the Alps to the north, Lake Garda to the immediate west and the Adriatic Sea to the east. While it is smaller than the wine-producing regions of Piedmont, Tuscany, Lombardy, Puglia and Sicily, it produces more wine than any of them.

The region of Veneto is known for Pinot Grigio and Prosecco. But other wines from the region include Valpolicella, Amarone, Soave and Bardolino. Geographically, Veneto is split into three primary areas — Bardolino, Valpolicella and Soave.

Bardolino is a cooler climate that is influenced by the Alps. It produces fresh, crisp white wines under the Bianco di Custoza and Garda titles. Bardolino is best known for its light red wines that are a blend of Corvina, Rondinella and up to 20 percent Molinara.

Just east of Lake Garda and north of Verona is Valpolicella. It is second only to Chianti in its wine production. There are four key styles of wine produced here - Valpolicella, Valpolicella Ripasso, Amarone della Valpolicella and Recioto della Valpolicella. All are made with Corvina, Corvinone, Rondinella and Molinara grapes with each using its own unique wine-making technique.

To the east of Valpolicella is Soave, home to the dry white ‘Soave’ wines that are among Italy's most famous.

Next time we’ll dive a bit deeper into the various styles of Valpolicella. Until then, Salute!