Italian Wine Club February 2025: Veneto

Wine might not be the first thing you associate with Italy’s Veneto region. That’d likely be Venice, the capital, and one of the most famous places on the planet, endlessly mythologized, celebrated, depicted - in art, literature, photos, film - simulated (the fake version in Vegas), and visited. The city hosts many millions of tourists every year, and most don’t venture much further - even though, this being Italy, there’s plenty of other mind blowing stuff nearby. Verona, where Romeo met Juliet, for instance; or Padua, where the Cappella degli Scrovegni houses Giotti’s epochal frescoes. Or the Dolomite Alps and Lake Garda, for breathtaking natural beauty. 

It’s a lot to take in. But, this being Italy, you’re also not not thinking about wine, and when you get thirsty, there are a lot of choices, because by one specific metric - volume of vino produced per annum - Veneto is the wine capital of Italy. Though 4th largest in population, and only 8th by size, Veneto produces some 8.8 million hectolitres of wine each year, good for 18% of Italy’s and 3% of the entire world’s annual total. White wine is responsible for 80% of the output - sparkling Prosecco and still Soave mostly, and most of it decent but not terribly memorable. 

The wines of Graziano Prà however, constitute a category all their own. Though the winery only dates back to the 1980s, it is easily one of the most important spots for white wine in all of Italy. Graziano’s family has owned these vineyards for generations, but never bottled their yields until 1983, when the first edition of this month’s wine, Prà’s flagship Soave ‘Otto’ bottling was released. As of the mid-00’s, Prà’s production includes red wines, but the heart of the endeavor remains Soave, made from the native Garganega grape. Pra’s vineyards are situated in the heart of the appellation, in Monteforte D’Alpone, just east of Verona, on some of the only volcanic soil in Northern Italy. Everything is farmed organically and hand-harvested from old vines. The result is Soave that is vivid, fresh, flavorful, and capable of aging in the bottle, a revelation if you're only used to the mass produced stuff. 

The reds, on the other hand, are a conurbation almost as distinctive as Venice itself; 240 square kilometers of indigenous grapes and bespoke production methods in the foothills of the Alps gathered under the letters ‘Valpolicella.’’The word itself dates back to the 12th century, is thought to be a mix of ancient Latin and Greek and means “valley of many cellars,” which remains accurate given that the Valpolicella DOC ranks just behind Chianti in terms of red wine production in Italy. There are five different tiers/styles of Valpolicella: Classico, Classico Superiore, Ripasso, Amarone, and Recioto. All are blends of the same four local varietals - Corvina, Rondinella, Corvinone, and Molinara - which are grown throughout the region (and almost nowhere else); collectively they cover every station of your traditional repast, from aperitivo (Classico) to dolce (Recioto). 

Classico Superiore, requires at least one year of aging, often in oak, and is fuller than regular Classico, sometimes with hints of the vanilla, smoke clove aromas of Amarone and Ripasso. Valpolicella Classico comes from the finest terroir in the DOC, just northwest of Verona, and consisting of three vertically-running valleys - Fumane, Marano and Negrar. It is light, fruit forward, and does well with a slight chill. 

Salud,

Alan Hicks

Wine Buyer PlumpJack Wine & Spirits Noe Valley

Risotto al Pesce Persico (Risotto with Perch Fish)

Ingredients:

• 1 liter (about 1 quart) vegetable stock

• 130 g (4.5 oz) unsalted butter

• 1 small shallot, finely chopped

• 300 g (11 oz) Carnaroli or Arborio rice

• 240 ml (1 cup) dry white wine, at room temperature

• 16 perch fillets (3-4 per person)

• All-purpose flour for coating

• Clarified butter for frying

• 8 fresh sage leaves

• Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Instructions:

1. In a saucepan over medium heat, warm up the stock
2. In a large saucepan heat 50 g (about 2 oz) of butter. Add the shallot and sauté for 2-3 minutes over medium heat. Add the rice and stir thoroughly for about 3 minutes, in order to “coat” the rice well with the butter and shallot. Add the wine and stir until completely absorbed over medium-high heat
3. Add a soup ladle or two of the stock until the rice is just covered, and stir continuously with a wooden spoon. When stock is almost completely absorbed (the rice should not be dry on top) repeat this process
4. Remove the risotto from the heat (after about 16-18 minutes), when the rice is nearly tender to the bite and creamy. Add 30 g (1 oz) of butter and keep stirring the risotto to blend it in. You can also add some salt and freshly ground pepper to taste. Let it stand for 1 or 2 minutes
5. While risotto is cooking, wash the perch fillets, pat dry with paper towel and then flour it. Melt some clarified butter over medium-high heat, then decrease the heat to medium, cook the fish turning over once until golden brown on each side. Add salt to taste. Remove from the pan and keep warm
6. Place 50 g of butter and sage in a small saucepan and cook over medium heat for 2 minutes being careful not to brown the butter. Turn the risotto out onto a heated platter. Place on top perch fillets and season with butter and sage. Serve immediately.