Sartori di Verona - Its wines and history

Andrea Sartori represents the fourth generation of his family to head the prestigious Sartori di Verona in Italy’s Valpolicella region. Considered one of Veneto’s “Big Five,” Sartori di Verona has, since its founding in 1898, maintained its home base in the ancient and picturesque town of Verona that Andrea casually refers to as a “little Rome.”

Verona was in fact founded by the Romans in the 1st Century BCE and later became part of the Republic of Venice from the 15th to 18th Centuries. Today, Verona is tied with Florence as number three in Italy’s most popular tourist destinations.

Several years ago, I led a group of 20 wine lovers to Verona and its adjacent Valpolicella and Soave Classico regions for a wine and food adventure where our time was filled with remarkable discoveries. A visit to Verona and its surrounding viticultural areas puts you on pace to enjoy the best in wine and food coupled with a unique history highlighted by the city’s art, architecture and culture. As a side note, Verona is the home of Romeo and Juliet where much of that story (including the famous balcony) is there for you to enjoy.

Earlier this month, a few wine writers and restaurateurs joined Andrea Sartori for lunch at Ulla in San Francisco where each splendid course was paired with specific wines from the Sartori portfolio. Throughout the lunch, Sartori shared his personal thoughts and reminiscences of growing up in a multi-generational Italian wine family while also providing precise and passionate descriptions of the vineyards, cellars and wines.

Head of the first generation Pietro Sartori, was a noted hotelier in Verona and well known by customers and trade for his love of “Veronese Rosso.” Through his love of wine, and penchant for sharing it with others at his Trattoria Pietro Sartori, he transformed himself from merchant to producer with the purchase of his first vineyard in 1898.

According to Andrea, the Sartori family always displayed “a bit of madness” as exhibited by their creative minds developing innovative techniques to achieve an individual winemaking and stylistic approach. His great-grandfather Pietro shared that trait and set the tone for future generations.

Pietro had five children, but only his son Regolo exhibited an interest in the family’s wine business and is credited with developing the necessary vision to expand the vineyards, production and market reach. In Verona and beyond, Regolo was known as “A gentleman of wine” who possessed an extraordinary palate and was considered a savvy businessman.

He established the country home of Villa Maria as the winery’s headquarters in 1947 and led Sartori di Verona’s recovery from the WWII Nazi occupation and destruction of the winery and vineyards. Under his leadership, Regolo was able to resume production and reignite Sartori’s growth into a new era.

Sadly, Regolo died prematurely in 1952 when his two young sons Pierumberto (22 years old) and Franco (19 years old) became the third generation leaders of the company. They retired in 1998 and 2000 and fourth generation Andrea became president. His ambition and energy were directed, “To open up to the world [with a] project for growth and ambition.”

Today, Sartori de Verona is one of the few Italian producers who have total vertical integration and self-independence with 2,000 hectares (HA) of vineyards and ever-expanding state-of-the-art production facilities.

Andrea proudly expands the vision of Sartori di Verona beyond its historic Italian market with exports to 70 countries in Europe, the Americas and Asia. To continue the family’s legacy, Andrea’s son and nephew joined the company last year as members of the fifth generation with more than 100 years of family ownership.

Our first wine of the lunch was something very unusual, and according to Andrea, spoke to the “bit of madness” running in the family. It was a 2020 Sartori “Marani” Bianco Veronese from the indigenous Garganega grape (100 percent) well known in the neighboring Soave region. What made this wine so unusual was that it was produced in the appassimento (meaning passionate in Italian) method, normally seen only from red grapes in the area’s Amarone wines.

Appassimento is a process in which the grapes are harvested at maturity, then left to dry on racks for several months (usually until January of the following year) in ventilated rooms. The grapes are then pressed and inoculated with special strains of yeast for fermentation to dryness before aging in large casks. The resulting wines are deep in color with alcohols ranging just above 15 percent and bold (though not intrusive) tannins.

This method is normally employed for the Valpolicella area’s flagship red wine carrying the Amarone designation. This white wine was introduced as a tribute to Regolo’s wife (Andrea’s grandmother) Fernanda Marani as a tribute to her strength and power in the family. Andrea referred to her as “the queen of the family and the glue that held it together.”

The tribute to Marani showed in the glass with power, breadth and incredible structural strength. A wine to remember that paired well with a range of beautifully prepared appetizer dishes typical of Italy’s northern regions. Our next wine was developed as a tribute to Regolo: 2018 Sartori “Regolo” Valpolicella Superiore Ripasso. Andrea never knew his grandfather due to his early passing, however his legacy has always been a strong influence in Andrea’s life.

The red wines of Valpolicella have always been seen as delicate lightly colored wines with an inviting palate meant for current drinking with little ability to age in the bottle. The Ripasso method was developed in Valpolicella to embolden the traditional wines as a bridge between traditional Valpolicella and Amarone by naturally lending additional structure, body and flavor.

In Ripasso, the fermented Valpolicella juice is added to the residual skins remaining after the production of Amarone in the apassimento method. A second fermentation ensues to draw additional strength, texture and body to the resulting wine. According to Sartori, new regulations now mandate that 10% to 15% of the Amarone liquid must also be present in the production of Ripasso wines for additional complexity and appeal.

The Regolo Valpolicella Ripasso exhibited sweet black fruits and dried pomegranate on the nose along with a contrasting touch of bright cranberry on the palate. It displayed a luscious mouthfeel with a bold, yet elegant, finish. The pairing with a range of charcuterie, beet salad and a tasty fettuccini arrabbiata was a real treat before our immersion into the world of Sartori Amarone.

Moving to the main course, we had choices of a seared tuna, lamb shank or a mushroom risotto and were treated to two Sartori Amarones from different vintages, each displaying its individual personality. The 2016 Sartori “Reius” Amarone Classico is a classic blend of indigenous grapes (Corvina, Corvione and Rondinella with about 5% other varieties from the same vineyards). Classic/traditional winemaking and fermentation techniques are employed for Reius.

The 2013 Sartori “Corte Brà” Amarone Classico Riserva offered a somewhat more modern and innovative approach. The grapes are from a single vineyard surrounding the Villa Maria estate and the wine is only produced in exceptional years with a limited production of less than 10,000 bottles (about 800 cases). It is held longer in the cellar for a minimum of six years. There was no 2014 produced and the 2015 vintage is now arriving in the market.

I found both wines quite interesting and emblematic of the upper echelon of Amarone. Both alcohol and tannins were fully integrated and bathed in the rich fruit so typical of Amarone. The Corte Brà was deeper in color and displayed blue fruits with bright acidity and freshness. The Reius showed sweet red fruit and richness on the palate with a long harmonious finish. Both presented the classic and distinctive character of cherry on the finish so closely related to Amarone.

Our lunch concluded by continuing with the Amarones while enjoying a delectable cheese course followed by a delicious chocolate truffle mousse. According to Andrea Sartori, cheese is his favorite pairing to Amarone and he was spot-on with the selection served. The mousse provided a different influence and was equally enjoyable.

The wines of Valpolicella, and the Veneto region in general are some of the finest examples of tradition and innovation carefully nurtured by the dedication and passion of family producers with multi-generational commitments to the area.

The Sartori family states, “[It] is not interested in the ‘quirks’ that more than ever attract the attention of producers and consumers. Rather they prefer to remain loyal to that sober, elegant and timeless style that represents them above everything. This is the real ‘Innovation’ – the ability to create wines that are coherent to their way of being…”