THE WINE
The wine, ancient source of wealth
The cultivation of grapevine has always given wellbeing to entire
regions;
also thousand of years ago, when on the sea ran only fenici and
cartaginesi wood, the wine was considered higher and article of barter;
to the fenici goes the merit to let know to the Mediterraneo folks
“nectar grapes". Fenicia, in fact, produced its best wine in the
Tiro and Serepta land and on the lowest Lebanon’s mountain.
The wine, in ancient times, was a very precious good, says a Bible line,
who retail that the explorers sent by Mose' to the promise land, came
back with a big grapes bunch that, of course, represented for Jewish a
good reason for conquest a rich soil.
About Egyptians boasted big vineyards in the Mesopotamia.
From Omero to the barbarian invasion
In Greece, vineyards from every species were lined up to reach a wide
wine produce. Omero, in the Iliade and Odissea reminds the "generoso
Pramnio" of Smirne and the "rosso, dolce Ismaro" of Tracia.
Plinio, the big roman naturalist, talks with enthusiasm of the later
wine.
The vine in Valtellina ...
a history as antique as man
The Valtellina is known and esteemed since farther age for the red wines
production. The romans esteemed Reticas grapes, Plinio and Stradone tell
of barrels of wood as big as houses.
The Visconti and the Sforza, to avoid and lose the precious nectar from
Bacco, gave unique privilege of the population from Valley.
Leonardo Da Vinci, talked of wine from Valtellina, defining them "vini
potenti assai".
In a glass of Valtellina’s wine you can taste a wide panorama of
sensation: who drink a drinking cup of Valtellina’ s wine is drinking
"the history in a glass".
Malicious people tell, about of wine trades, the peasantry, in the
moment of sale of their products, they were used to invite the buyer "nell'involt
di casa" (at their place), where sampling abundant portions served with
seasoned local cheese.
After this they gave their the beaker with the tasting wine. The wine
drunk after eating the cheese doesn’t have any defect and exalts the
organoleptic characteristic.
Wine and cheese are the most representative products in the Valtellina
culinary art. The vineyard from Valtellina isn’t a natural
characteristic, but is the artificial product of the work by man.
Up to 1400, where today overtop the vineyards, there is the wood. The
Valtellina’s landscape had the disaggregate aspect: woods, some
vineyards, lawn in valley.
In the 1500, in Valtellina they started to implant many vineyards in
order to produce a large quantity of wine. In the Renaissance the
Valtellina’s wine and cheese are becoming notorious in all of world.
Leonardo da Vinci in the Atlantic code, talking from Valtellina, he says
“made wine strong and many livestock".
The vineyards were found, with more fatigue, from countrymen and the
wine fired every canteen of local the Lords, Europe’s prince and queen.
In the XVI century the Valtellina’ s wine hadn’ t that notoriety and
renownedy who is percolating in the future century
Grigioni traded every wine; the farmers drank the more out wine. To the
farmers cuted the tress in the valley where they can derive quality out
wine.
They got of the vineyards in the coast, hence the wine traded and drink
is excellent quality.
The Geographicals from Sondrio Province
In the Valtellina the grape growing is recognize with IGT "Terrazzo
Retched di Sondrio”.
WHITE:
produced with red grape. The must is light. Particulary for cold white
meats, salad cake.
RED:
produced with grape, traditional way. Wine for every lunch, it has a
young taste.
The Classic
They
let know Valtellina all over the world.
SASSELLA:
take the name from church of Sassella.
GRUMELLO:
is a wine that didn’t need to get old. A castle dominates the area of
production and gives the name of wine.
It is very good wiith red meat and cheese.
INFERNO:
its name comes from the very hot temperament, it is dry but it becomes
soft when mellowing.
VALGELLA:
from Latin vallicula = valgella.
Its name is famous in Italy, with meat is very good. It is excellent
with Pizzocheri that is a typical dish from Valtellina.
VALTELLINA:
best with pasta-dishes, white meat and cheese.
Seletion
SFORZATO:
(italian for “Sfurzat”) its name comes from traditional practice of “
forcing" from Chiavenna grapes.
This is a special wine.
The most important wine shop
TONA:
The winery Tona, Gianluigi Bonisolo & snc, based in Villa di Tirano, is
'one of the most' ancient in Valtellina. Founded in 1892 by John Tona,
it manufactures and markets its wines in the valley but especially in
neighbouring Switzerland.
The winery now stronger 3500 hectolitres of capacity of barrels of
chestnut and oak, is requisitioned by the authorities' then for military
supplies.
At the end of 1945 only 12 hectolitres of table wine were left and they
were obliged to start again from throughout with tenacity and enormous
sacrifices. Today, we produce two hundred thousand bottles a year of
high quality wine.
NEGRI NINO:
The winery Nino Negri, founded in 1897, and 'one of the biggest economic
reality' in Valtellina, thanks to its wines DOC
The headquarters are still in the beautiful fifteenth Castle Quadrio, in
Chiuro.
The area D.O.C. in Valtellina and long and compact vines supported by
kilometers of stone walls, start from the village of Ardenno and reach
Tirano and Nino Negri well figures with its 38 hectares of vineyards,
all in the heart of Valtellina Superiore.
The success led to the entrepreneur Valtellina build the company with
the purchase of new vineyards and also the latest son, Carluccio. These
are the names of its known vineyards: Graubünden, Mine and Longoni,
Sassorosso, Vignalunga and Ca' Sassina, Two Gironi and Ca' Rossa, Ca'
Brione and Fracia.
Winemaking and aging are made in the cellar of Chiuro and in the cellar
of Ponte in Valtellina, a former convent of 1200. In particular, the
first made under large castle Quadrio times in Chiuro, dates back to
1432 and it is constantly visited for the spectacular and long tunnels
and large underground halls.
The Nino Negri is now on the market with the new line of wines: Botti
gold Sassella and Inferno, and Grisons and Vineyard, the last born, Ca'
Brione and Sfurzat.
These wines were obtained by selecting the grapes from the vineyards
owned and, thanks to a careful winemaking by the wine-making expert, Mr.
Casimir Maule, to respond more 'to the needs of market, but above all to
please even the various fans demands .
CONTI SERTOLI SALIS:
from a severe selection of grapes from the sun of Chiavenna they obtain
the red wine, Saloncello. The cellars of “Conti Sertoli Salis” develop
in the part of the Palazzo Salis, located in Tirano, piazza Salis, 3.
Wine’s poetry
So you come to us, wine of past
Fragrant memories, and say again
As the earth tell you 'between the mountains:
Green valleys, beloved horizons;
Hot dinners, generous friends,
The aura of a world long loved
G.Bertacchi
Those on wine
"Al vin l'e' l lacc di vecc"
The wine is the old man’s milk
Se' l piof al di de la Ascenza fa la vendemia con la brenta"
If it rains the day of the ascension we do the harvest in great quantity
"A San Bartulume' i grapi a tre a tre"
In St. Bartholomew bunches three by three
"Per San Martin prepara la bot per met gio l'vin"
For St. Martin prepares the butt top ut the wine
"Per San Martin se stapa l'vin"
For St. Martin we uncork the wine
"Le l'acqua che fa mal e vin che l'fa canta' "
it is the water that hurts and wine let us sing
"Al ghe doa roba che li diventen bona a diventar vecia: al vin el
furmacc.
Ma se i diventen trop vecc al vin al va' il age' el furmai al fa int i
cagnon"
There are two things that are good with the age: wine and cheese. But if
they become too old, the wine is transformed into vinegar and cheese is
full of grubs
"Al ris al nasc in de l'acqua ma al mor in del vin"
Rice was born in water but must die in wine
(The cereals above-said must be served with a glass of
wine)
