From: Veneto, Italy
Varietals: 70% Corvina, 16% Sangiovese, 14% Molinara

Taste & Critical Acclaim: “This shows ripe, crunchy berries, dark chocolate, balsamic and dry earth. Clean and fresh with medium body and a chalky tannin structure. Fruit-forward, with savory notes to close. Drink or hold.” —James Suckling, 92 points

“Aromas of blackberry, tart cherry, tobacco and baking spices spill from the glass. The wine evolves on the palate, showing the balance between black and sour plums and black tea and wild herbs. It's medium in body with gentle tannins and the right amount of acidity to keep each glass fresh.” —Wine Enthusiast, 90 points

Pairing: Charcuterie, dishes with porcini mushrooms, grilled red meats and lamb. Unmissable with fresh pasta with tomato sauce or swordfish parmigiana for sea lovers. Tasty with pasta and rice dishes, with seasonal or porcini mushrooms as well as alongside chargrilled and roasted beef or lamb. With that in mind, we’re sharing this recipe for Quick Lamb Ragu by Alison Roman.

About. Possessioni Serego Alighieri is located in the Veneto region of northeast Italy, within the heart of the Valpolicella Classico district. Just a few kilometers from the historic Verona city center, the Alighieri estate is surrounded by green hills. The Tenuta (estate) dates all the way back to 1353, when the Pietro Alighieri—the son of Dante the Poet who had followed his father into exile in Verona— purchased the vineyards that were already famous for their quality. For twenty-one generations, Dante’s descendants have lived in the Possessioni, a landmark site for viticulture in the Valpolicella region.

In 1549, the Alighieri family  found itself with only female heirs, and married into the powerful imperial family of Serego; since then, the estate has been known as Serego Alighieri. In the 16th century, Marcantonio Serego was an enthusiastic proponent of agricultural reform, of land reclamation and of increasing the productiveness of his estates. Crop cultivation managed as a science and as an art began in the eighteenth century with the identification of the right habitat for each product. In the 1920s, after phylloxera, Pieralvise Serego Alighieri founded the School of Agriculture in Gargagnago to replant local native grape varieties.

Most recently, in 1973, Tenuta Serego Alighieri joined the Masi Group, with whom they share a great love for the land. The Masi Technical Group, under the leadership of Raffaele Boscaini, substitutes the figure of the winemaker with that of a team of experts including oenologists, agronomists, marketing experts, chemists, and food product technicians. The group also carries out research and experimentation in collaboration with universities and other institutions, ultimately contributing to the innovation of wines throughout the Venetian regions.

The 2020 Serego Alighieri “Possessioni” Rosso Verona closely resembles a Valpolicella Superiore, although it is classified as an IGT wine—likely because some of the grapes were sourced from outside of the defined area required for the Valpolicella label. It is a blend that leads with Corvina (the main grape used in Valpolicella) with some Sangiovese and Molinara (which are also allowed in Valpolicella). Valpolicella Superiore wines must also be aged for at least one year in a wooden barrel and have a minimum alcohol level of 12%; this wine follows those guidelines as well. After harvest, the grapes were sorted and carefully crushed. Fermentation took place in large oak barrels at controlled temperatures, and the wine matured for 12 months in Slavonian oak barrels.