Origin: Italy
Grape: Corvina, Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon
Body: Full
Year: 2013
Alcohol: 5%
Price point: $18.00
Year Reviewed: 2017
So the joy of having my own blog is to try various grapes and educate my readers and followers on all types of wines. I had read about the Corvina grape in Italy, and its thin skin, and since I love the Nebbiola grape from Italy and this seemed a bit similar, I wanted to find a wine with 100% Corvina grapes. I also have read that the Corvina grape can depict tastes of tobacco, coffee, and mocha and I know I love these flavors in my red wines, so it was only inevitable that I would try this grape and this wine by Zenato.
Corvina is widely grown on the Veneto shore of Lake Garda and the hills of Valpolicella to the north and north-east of Verona. Sometimes known as Corvina Veronese, it is blended with Rondinella and Molinara to produce Valpolicella and Bardolino. It can be a tricky grape to cultivate, as it ripens late and is prone to rot if affected by rains at harvest time. It is a high-yielding grape and quality is very dependent on keeping yields low.
Corvina-based red wines can range in style from a light, cherryish red to the rich, port-like Recioto and AmaroneValpolicellas. Most Valpolicella from the plains is pale and insipid, and bears little comparison with Valpolicella Classico from the hills. Some producers such as Allegrini are now producing very high quality 100% Corvina wines.
https://www.bbr.com/grape-co-corvina-corvinone-blend
Brilliant ruby in color, Alanera delights the senses with a variety of aromas and flavors that include fresh and dried cherries and prunes, sweet spice, and hints of coffee and tobacco. On the palate, Alanera is full-bodied with elegant and velvety tannins. Vibrant acidity brings balance and freshness, and supports a long and harmonious finish. Learn more about the Zenato wines below.
Alanera translates as “black wing,” a reference to the raven, “corvo” in Italian, and an homage to the Valpolicella region’s treasured indigenous grape, “Corvina”. Alanera is a seductive wine that derives extra richness from an innovative variation on the traditional appassimento method practiced throughout the zone. 50% of all the grapes harvested to produce this wine are partially dried for 45-60 days. The classic Valpolicella varietals are dried in the main drying facility in Sant’ Ambrogio where the Zenato family dry their Amarone grapes, while the Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon are dried at Zenato’s Santa Cristina winery. The highly concentrated juice from these partially dried grapes adds an unusually complex spectrum of aromas and flavors to the blend. 12 months in barrel round out the tannin structure in this eminently drinkable red.
https://www.thewinebowgroup.com/our-brands/zenato/alanera-rosso-veronese-igt/
I love reading about the wine laws around the world and this wine is classified as IGT (Indicazione Geografica Tipica) so what does that mean?
I.G.T. – Indicazione Geografica Tipica
April 30, 2006 in Drinking Wine
“IGT!”
“Gesundheit.”
No that wasn’t a sneeze, it was I.G.T. or Indicazione Geografica Tipica: the new wine classification introduced in 1992 as part of a general reorganization of the D.O.C. (Denominazione di Origine Controllata) Italian wine law. I.G.T. was to be a new controlled quality level just below the D.O.C. to create a home for wines that, for many reasons, did not met the D.O.C. requirements, but had regional character.
Predictably, the introduction of the I.G.T. has been a mere sneeze as far as consumers are concerned — and a great example of a bureaucratic shell game.
The creation of I.G.T. was made necessary by the inadequacies of the D.O.C. regulations and by the widespread revolt against them by many famous and politically powerful wine producers. These producers were being forced to give their top wines, often internationally styled ones that did not follow D.O.C. rules, the lowly Vino da Tavola (table wine) designation.
http://winecampblog.com/journal/2006/4/30/igt-indicazione-geografica-tipica.html
Try this beautiful grape with Merlot and Cab…..all you red wine lovers!!!!!!!