From: Valpolicella, Italy
Blend: 50% Corvina, 20% Corvinone, 25% Rondinella, 5% Croatina
Taste: A lovely bouquet of wild strawberries, Amarena cherries, juicy raspberries, kirsch and rich plums meld seamlessly with warming, heady aromas of clove, cinnamon, pecan, baking spice, tobacco flower and herbal qualities like fennel and licorice. On the palate, fresh red and black fruits, orange zest, and black tea notes balance out the generous aromas in the glass, and allow for a wide range of pairing options. These flavors largely mimic the nose, but its texture and lifted palate won’t weigh you down, its finish lingering and dry, with fine-grained, silky tannins. Layered, complex, and intoxicating, this wine will be the star of the evening.
Pairing: It’s hard to imagine a situation where this wine won’t shine. Pastas with tomato sauce, roasted poultry like chicken or turkey with potatoes and gravy, roasted squash and winter vegetables, gratins, picnic fare, and even takeout tacos, burgers, curries, gyros, and dishes that incorporate a Mediterranean flare are all fare game! Some other specific pairing ideas include pasta and rice dishes, with seasonal or porcini mushrooms, meaty dumplings, or chargrilled and roasted beef, lamb and medium/mature cheeses. With that in mind, we’re going to share a recipe for Colombian Beef and Potato Empanadas by J. Kenji Lopez-Alt. It’ll make about 24 small empanadas & will take only about an hour (plus cooling) to make.
About. When Mariano Buglioni created this wine, he had the perfect name in mind. But he soon discovered that the perfect name was already taken, and he would have to settle for another name. Despite this setback, Mariano recognized that the wine was perfect in every other regard, so he chose the name (I’M) Perfetto, for a perfect wine with an imperfect name. This wine is made from 100% estate fruit, which comes from Buglioni’s vineyards in Valpolicella Classico. The vineyards are located at an altitude of about 495ft and consist of dark, clayey soils with a high content of gravel. Grapes are manually harvested, with a portion pressed immediately after harvest, while a small percentage is left in the drying room. The wine is certified organic.
Harvest note. The 2021 vintage was a good harvest with ideal conditions. Rainfall was even and well timed. The temperatures were not extreme. Warm days and cool nights in August and September allowed for perfect ripening of the grapes.
