The new Valpolicella Superiore Peratara is just one piece of a project that includes densely planted and steeply sloping vineyards, a fully equipped winemaking cellar, rooms and suites at Cà del Moro Wine Retrait, a fine dining restaurant and more.
Peratara, every time I write this I admit that I reread it at least ten times. And I spell it P – E – R – A – T – A – R – A. Nine times out of ten I spelled it wrong. Not that it is a particularly difficult word, but it doesn’t enter my mind. Immediate, on the other hand, is its meaning to me whenever I hear this word pronounced. Peratara is the Veronese dialectal for pietraia. Sti sassi apparently like vines and bring good luck, I have in mind some other striking examples from Tuscany. Peratara wine, however, has nothing to do with Tuscany and its wines. We are in Verona and, once again and again with pleasure, we talk about Valpolicella as a territory and Valpolicella Superiore. The wine in which the area is investing so much and continues to wonder about.
Peratara fits right into this hot topic of the moment; in fact, it is the new Valpolicella Superiore label from La Collina dei Ciliegi. A seemingly simple product (what do you want a Valpo Superiore to be!) but there is nothing simple about it at all, and you would have thought so, except for the drinking ability. Intriguing, just the right amount of spice, just enough ripe flavor, really elegant silkiness … but let’s not rush! We will also get to the tasting, let’s start with the basics, where we are and who we are talking about.
La Collina dei Ciliegi is the agricultural, viticultural and dedicated high-profile hospitality and catering project of a visionary as much as concrete character named Massimo Gianolli. A real tribute to the territory of Valpantena (a recognized geographical mention for Valpolicella wines, so we are in the province of Verona) and Val Squaranto, an adjacent valley and green lung, which definitively draws the boundary between the Classica zone, Valpantena and “the other Valpolicella.”
To this great project which includes Valpolicella appellation of origin wines; a carpet of vines (31 hectares planted with vines) at 600 meters with high planting density and steep slope for the production of a new line of wines; a winemaking cellar with cements, steels, amphorae and woods; sale of Amarone en primeur; rooms and suites at Cà del Moro Wine Retrait; agricamping and a fine dining restaurant; multipurpose theater/convention hall; trekking, mountain biking and horse riding trails; and in 2023 a new product will be added.
A Valpolicella Superiore doc named Peratara, after the vineyard of origin, which is being released for the first time in the 2019 vintage. From Corvina, Corvinone and Rondinella grapes. It matures in different containers, from wood to amphora and of different volumes. Peratara Valpolicella Superiore, which joins the line of appellation red wines, is a spokesman for a territory and a style of wine of great drinkability and elegance. Able to endure over time and amaze in its evolution. Today this wine is in fine shape but continues to dream in terms of longevity.
It also fits perfectly into the project of decoding Valpolicella Superiore carried out by the Consorzio Tutela Vini Valpolicella and the producers all, becoming in my opinion an excellent point of reference.
Beautifully matched, and thankfully so, by Chef Giuseppe Lamanna’s cuisine. Chef de cuisine of Cà del Moro restaurant. I recommend, for those who would like to try it themselves, the Eggplant Parmigiana. A recipe that certainly needs no introduction, faithful in taste to the original is skillfully reworked by Chef Lamanna. He offers it concealed under a blanket of tomato sauce, decorated with a sauce of 40-month Parmigiano Reggiano Vacche Rosse. The interplay between acidity, sweetness and spiciness of the dish aligns well with Peratara’s sensations. Just as crispy, spicy and vegetal just the right amount, as well as creamy and savory on the palate.
Collina dei Ciliegi was born in 2010 and is for all intents and purposes the realized dream of paying homage to the origins of the Gianolli family, which after years of globetrotting (a trade it continues to like a lot) put down roots again in the Erbin locality. It is a place that cannot easily be recounted but must be experienced in person to understand its vibrant energy, genuine authenticity, and elegance in detail.
