Wines
Bardolino Doc
Le Fraghe Bardolino appears a purple-tinged ruby red of medium intensity. Its rich, complex bouquet is the result of a perfect blend of fruity essences such as sweet-sour cherry and blueberry, and spicy nuances of cinnamon and black pepper. The distinctive hallmark of this wine is without a doubt the elegance that one experiences on the palate. Although this is a standard-label wine for near-term enjoyment, it displays a remarkably soft suite of tannins and a lovely balance between a judicious acidity and full, savoury flavours, characteristic of wines of this area. Nicely full bodies, it lingers long on the finish.
| GRAPES | Corvina and Rondinella |
| GROWING AREA | Veneto region - Communes of Affi and Cavaion Veronese |
| AGE OF VINEYARDS | 12 years |
| EXPOSURE AND ALTITUDE | South-facing at 190 metres |
| TRAINING SYSTEM | Guyot |
| YIELD | 90 q/ha |
| PLANTING DENSITY | 5,000 vines per hectare |
| ALCOHOL | 12% |
| SERVING TEMPERATURE | 15° C (60° F) |
| RECOMMENDED GLASS | Riedel Overture Series: Red Wine 408/00 |
| CELLARABILITY | 2-3 years |
| TECHNICAL DATA | The two grape varieties, Corvina and Rondinella, are vinified separately. The maceration lasts some 7-8 days, and coincides with the fermentation period. The cap is managed daily, with a délestage in the morning and a pumpover in the evening. After the wine is drawn off, it goes through malolactic fermentation, which usually occurs in the following month, then the wine goes to stainless steel tanks, where it rests until spring, when it is bottled. |
| SERVING SUGGESTIONS | Delicious as an accompaniment to light meats and delicate-flavoured red meats, as well as young cheeses. |
Le Fraghe
Le Fraghe Winemaker Matilde Poggi was born in 1962, the third of six children, and she grow grapes and make wine in Cavaion Veronese, in the heart of the Bardolino production zone. Her first harvest was in 1984; prior to that year the grapes were sold to another winery. Even as a young child she remember hearing the conversations about vines and wine, and recall those Octobers, when she was going right from school to harvesting the grapes. That is the land that Matilde calls Family. Matilde today is the President of FIVI the Italian Federation Independent Winemakers.
Veneto
Veneto’s wines are some of Italy’s best known exports – the names of Soave, Bardolino and Valpolicella have long been associated with eminently drinkable Italian wines. Yet there is a lot more to this region, and indeed a lot more behind the names of its best known wines. With 26 DOCs and 13 DOCGs, Venice’s region has a substantial production of quality wine, as well as well-priced easy-drinking reds and whites bottled as IGTs. One of Italy’s most interesting wines is a product of these three grapes, the deep, dark Amarone della Valpolicella, recently promoted to DOCG status. Made from partly dried grapes in the vineyards north of Verona, it is a structured, complex and heady wine capable of great age that has gained a cult following among the wine industry’s elite.
In Treviso, north of Venice, are the towns of Conegliano and Valdobbiadene where the popular bubbly Prosecco is made using the Charmat method where the second fermentation takes place in large tanks.
In 2009 Prosecco di Conegliano e Valdobbiadene has become DOCG, encouraging reduced yields in the vineyards. Prosecco is also produced in the neighbouring Montello e Colli Asolani zone. White wines from Pinot Grigio, Sauvignon and Chardonnay are gaining in popularity and recent versions are responding well to oak ageing.
