2022 Bianco Secco, Guiseppe Quintarelli, Veneto, Italy

The 5th most widely planted white grape in Italy and the main grape used in the production of Soave. It is an abundantly vigorous grape and yields must be kept low for its discreet aromatic qualities to show in the wine.

The Veneto region in northeastern Italy encompasses the city of Venice and its surrounding areas. It is one of Italy's most prominent wine regions known for its diverse range of red, white, sparkling and sweet wines such as Garganega, Prosecco, Corvina, Rondinella and Molinara. The region boasts a long and storied winemaking tradition dating back centuries. The unique combination of climate, terroir, and grape varieties cultivated contribute to the distinct character of the region's wines.

The estate of Giuseppe Quintarelli, located in the Veneto region of north-eastern Italy produces Valpolicellas, Reciotos and Amarones that are revered by oenophiles all over the world. The estate dates back to 1924 and but it was Giuseppe Quintarelli (known as Bepi, in charge from the mid-1950s until his death in 2012) who drove its success. In an era that emphasized mass production over attention to detail, Quintarelli made wines without compromise, with labour-intensive methods and painstaking attention in the vineyard. Giuseppe established the winery as the source of the most traditional styles of Amarone, ageing it for seven years in Slavonian oak; the result is one of the most complex wines produced in Italy.Quintarelli wines are still the unmatched benchmark for Amarone. Even though he is traditional in his Amarone production, it does not follow that Giuseppe is afraid of innovation. As well as the excellent Amarone, he produces an excellent dry white wine called Bianco Secco and a flamboyant, but powerful blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc and Corvina labelled Primo Fiore and sought after as any cult Cabernet. Giuseppe’s daughter, Fiorenza, her husband, Giampaolo Grigoli, and their children Francesco and Lorenzo, are currently involved in running the winery.