I hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving and safe travels!
This weekend at Italian Market we will welcome the annual return of another of my fave wines for fall, the Rosso del Veronese IGT ($35.75, 14% ABV) ) from the L’Arco Vivi di Luca Fedrigo, in the Valpolicella region of the Veneto. The winery is named for the “Arco di Giove”, the only one of seven arches dating from the 16th and 17th centuries that remain on the road to Negrar, near the winery. It is winemaker Luca’s link to his past and its image adorns his hand sketched wine labels. I thought the text “Merum ad Lapideum” might be a family motto but the Latin translation is only “a mere stone”.
The story of Luca Fedrigo begins with his meeting the legendary winemaker Giuseppe Qunitarelli. The winemaker’s granddaughter was a close friend of Fedrigo and she persuaded Quintarelli into giving Fedrigo a job on the estate. Fedrigo began working in the garden and soon more than flowers blossomed. Fedrigo then began an apprenticeship in the winery, under Quintarelli’s supervision. The two worked side by side with each other for more than ten years as Fedrigo absorbed Quintarelli’s passionate respect for the Veneto’s terroir, indigenous grapes and tradition.
In 1998, Fedrigo founded L’Arco by planting 2.2 hectares of vines that were surrounded by his father’s vineyards from the 1960’s. His cellar was in the basement of the old family home. Fedrigo personally manages all aspects of sustainable production, including using natural yeasts and aging the wines in wood barrels from Slovenia. Fedrigo is a true artisan winemaker whose wines differ from year to year, depending upon the blends he uses to make the best wines he can. Testament to his vision is that his wines sell out year after year.
Fedrigo’s Rosso del Veronese is a blend of 50% Corvina and Corvinone, 30% Rondinella,15% Sangiovese Grosso and 5% Molinara. It is fruit-forward with herbal aromatics, good tannin and acidity; pair with Piazza’s pasta or risotto with meat and/or mushroom sauces. Come join me Friday from noon to 5:45 or Saturday from noon to 4:45 to welcome back this delicious red wine!
Cin Cin,
Jenn
Piazza Italian Market is located in the Talbot Town Shopping Center at 218 N. Washington St, suite 23, in Easton, MD.
Contributor Jennifer Martella has pursued dual careers in architecture and real estate since she moved to the Eastern Shore in 2004. She has reestablished 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 afternoons.
