Happiness is in the everyday, in the little things. You don’t have to spend lots of money or surround yourself with luxuries to enjoy the little things in life. This is the philosophy Corte Giara is made under, the range launched by Allegrini wineries which aims to bring the powerful wines of northern Italy to a younger audience and turn them into an everyday pleasure. One of them that stands out is Allegrini Corte Giara La Groletta, a modern style amarone that showcases a simpler version of this Italian classic without leaving behind its traditional character.
Corte Giara is a range that has been on sale since 1989 when Allegrini identified a change in consumer tastes. Things were changing and amarone (the great symbol of Italian wines) had to change as well, but without ever compromising quality. Making sure only the best grapes reach the winery wouldn’t be a problem, because Allegrini owns 100 hectares of vineyards in the Valpolicella region, specifically in the zona classica. Here, where the most renowned and highest quality wines are born, the winery cultivates the Corvina and Rondinella with special care on the La Grola hill. The story goes that this plot, located in the Fumane valley, is the birthplace of the Corvina (the native grape used in this type of wine). The vines are trained in pergolas and grow on mineral-rich and very fertile calcareous soils of volcanic origin, where the plant has to withstand cold winters and hot and humid summers.
Once harvested, and before fermentation, the Allegrini Corte Giara La Groletta grapes spend 3 to 4 months drying on racks, reducing their water content and increasing the sugar concentration. This process, known as ripasso, is the key to subsequent fermentation, where the yeasts are allowed to completely consume all the glucose, resulting in a very dry wine (1.1 g/L of sugar). Allegrini Corte Giara La Groletta is fermented in stainless steel tanks at a controlled temperature. It spends 4 months there, macerating with its skins. From there it will spend 11 months in Slavonian oak barrels until it is finally bottled.
As Oscar Wilde said: “I have the simplest of tastes: I am always satisfied with the best.” In this case, Allegrini Corte Giara La Groletta is the winner. Luxury is not at odds with the simple and everyday. And if that’s hard to believe, open a bottle of this red to see for yourself. You’ll see we’re not lying.