Excellent Pairings

Savory Dishes. Rich Soups.
Acidic Sauces. Tomato Sauce.
Rich Pizza. Rich Pasta. Spaghetti Bolognese.
Spicy Soups. Chicken Teriyaki.
Rustic Stew. Pork Stew.
Stewed Meat with Mushrooms.
Lamb. Veal. Osso Buco.
Beef. Braised Ox. Grilled Steak.
BBQ. Roast Duck. Hamburger.
Game. Wild Boar. Deer. Venison.
Reindeer. Elk. (in Scandinavia).

Cheeses

Mature Cheese.
Pecorino. Parmigiano. Manchego. Cheddar.

Sforzato di Valtellina

The appassimento method (raisinating grapes before vinifying) is an old tradition in northern Italy. Drying concentrates sugar and acid in the grapes.

The Sforzato wine of Valtellina (Sfursat in local dialect) was the first Italian dry red passito with a DOCG status. It is produced from Nebbiolo grapes laid out on straw mats to dry in ventilated cellars known as "fruttai" (fruit stores). After drying, ready for crushing, the grapes have lost 40% of the weight and developed new aromatic flavors.

Just like Sforzato, Amarone, and Valpolicella Ripasso, many Italian wine producers include from 10% to 20% dried grapes in their wines. In Valtellina, some producers use dried grapes in Valtellina Superiore (DOCG).

Italian Wine Laws DOC(G)

Italian wine law and labels was introduced in 1963. They were designed to copy the French AOC/AC system.

Strict rules defines grape varieties, yield limits, grape ripeness, winemaking procedures, barrel and bottle maturation, and tasting procedures. Each bottle must have a numbered government seal.

The DOCG was created in 1980 in response to the criticisms that there were too many DOCs and their quality was variable.

• DOC (Denominazione di Origine Controllata)
  Regulates production areas, grape varieties, bottle and barrel aging, alcohol levels, and vinification techniques.

• DOCG (Denominazione di Origine Controllata e Garantita)
  The highest classification. Same regulations as DOC. In addition, each DOCG-labeled wine must be bottled within the production area and pass a wine quality tasting panel.

Valtellina DOC(G)

Valtellina produces 3 categories of Nebbiolo wines:

• Valtellina Superiore DOCG
• Rosso di Valtellina DOC
• Sforzato di Vallentina DOCG

Rosso di Valtellina DOC 1968	Minimum 90% Nebbiolo (Chiavennasca) Maximum 10% other Lombardia grapes Maximum harvest 10 tonnes/ha Aged minimum 6 months Minimum alcohol 11%
Valtellina Superiore DOCG 1998	Minimum 90% Nebbiolo (Chiavennasca) Maximum 10% other Lombardia grapes Maximum harvest 8 tonnes/ha Aged minimum 2 years (3 for Riserva) minimum 1 year in barrel Minimum alcohol 12%
Sforzato di Valtellina DOCG 2003	Amarone style dry passito wine Minimum 90% Nebbiolo (Chiavennasca) Maximum 10% other Lombardia grapes Aged minimum 20 months between barrel and bottle Minimum alcohol 14%

About Valtellina

"A valley surrounded by high and terrible mountains. But they make really powerful wines." was the summary provided by Leonardo da Vinci in his sketch collection "Codice Atlantico".

Valtellina is a valley in the Lombardy region of northern Italy on the border to Switzerland. It is one of Italy's smallest wine regions, with dramatic high altitude vineyard landscapes, angled as solar panels to the south, on steep slopes and tiny terraces.

Most of the wines in the region are red wines produced on the grape Chiavennasca, a local Nebbiolo varity named after the city Chiavenna.

Italy's greatest grape Nebbiolo, has the local name Chiavennasca in Lombardia, Spanna in northern Piemonte, and Picotener in Val d’Aosta.

Valtellina Wine Road

Valtellina Strada del Vino is a 70 km panoramic road through the terraced vineyards where "Nebbiolo delle Alpi" is made.

The road runs from Ardenno to Tirano in the valley.

On the road, there are wineries that provides wine tasting, guided tours, and the possibility to stay overnight, discover traditional dishes "like grandma used to", while drinking local Valtellina wines, and meat the locals who work in the mountains.