Giuseppe Quintarelli is considered to be quite simply a legend of Italian viticulture, notably of Amarone, a globally-renowned Venetian wine. He unfortunately passed away in 2012, having spent many years managing his 12-hectare domain in the northern hills of Verona at the heart of the Valpolicella appellation. A perfectionist, this wine maker made a name for himself with his Amarone della Valpolicella Classico and his Recioto, selling his cuvées only after many years of ageing. Giuseppe's daughter Fiorenza took up the domain with her husband and two children, Francesco and Lorenzo, and a team of four works at the domain throughout the year.
The viticulture at the domain is traditional, inspired by ancestral practices. The vines are treated only when necessary (when it rains, for example), and no herbicides are used. The yields are kept to a minimum with rigorous pruning and green harvests. The grapes are picked by hand before being dried for 4 months (when destined to become Amarone). The winery has been modernised to improve the quality of the wine even further. An exceptional domain.

A star of the Venetian wine world, the Giuseppe Quintarelli estate (whose legendary winemaker passed away in 2012) offers us this Amabile del Cerè IGT sweet white, a Passito wine as it’s called in the region. This is a local speciality made from various grape varieties such as Garganega, Trebbiano, Chardonnay, and Sauvignon Blanc, all grown in Cerè di Negrar, in the Verona region. To produce this Passito wine, the grapes are dried using the traditional rack-drying method. Vinification starts at the end of January, involving pressing and fermentation triggered by native yeasts. The sugar concentration is so high that fermentation lasts nearly two months. The wine is then aged for an exceptionally long period in French oak casks, between five and six years. A quintessential meditation wine, this Passito displays a golden colour revealing scents of candied fruit, sweet spices, vanilla, dried fruit like almond and hazelnut), complemented by honey, and caramel. The palate is syrupy yet balanced by a high natural acidity, providing freshness and enhancing its ageing potential.