Ciao Tutti!
This weekend we will taste a new wine to our collection, the Rodon Chiaretto di Bardolino DOC ($15.95) from the Le Fraghe winery in Cavaion Veronese, a province of Verona. Winemaker Mathilde Poggi’s earliest childhood memories are of hearing the grownups conversing about vines and wine. When she was old enough, she joined her family after school to help harvest the grapes, which instilled in her a lifelong passion for winemaking.
When relatives later divided the family’s property in the early 1980’s, at age 22 (!),Poggi decided to create her own winery in 1984 to focus on the indigenous grapes of the Veneto, Corvina, Garganega and Rondinella.
Since 2009, the winery has been producing under the organic wine certification. The geography from Monte Baldo and the Val d’ Adige to the north with Lake Garda’s Mediterranean climate imparts a unique terroir to her wines. The Rodon Chiaretto is a blend of Corvina (80%), and Rondinella (20%).The wine is named “Rodon” from the Greek word rodon (pink) because the wine’s maceration lasts six-eight hours to give the wine its pink color.
Today, Mathilde Poggi has become a force in Italian wine and is considered to be one of Italy’s most respected producers for her elegant wines in Bardolino, one of the oldest appellations in Italy. In addition to managing her estate, she has served as President of the Italian Federation of Independent Grape Growers since 2013.
The Rodon Chiaretto di Bardolino’s color is cherry red, with fragrant aromatics, notes of wild rose, strawberries, crisp palate and a lengthy finish. As we count down to the end of the hot days of August, enjoy Chiaretto all through a meal or pair with antipasti including young cheeses, zuppa di pesce, delicately flavored meats and egg dishes.
Come join me Friday from noon to 5:45 or Saturday from noon to 4:45 to taste this refreshing rose’.
Cin Cin!
Jenn
Contributor Jennifer Martella has pursued dual architecture and real estate careers since moving to the Eastern Shore in 2004. She has re-established her architectural practice for residential and commercial projects and is a real estate agent for Meredith Fine Properties. She especially enjoys using her architectural expertise to help buyers envision how they could modify a potential property. Her Italian heritage led her to Piazza Italian Market, where she hosts wine tastings every Friday and Saturday afternoon.
