Beautifully tucked within the Veneto region of northern Italy, Pedemonte di Valpolicella is a small town, locally known as a hamlet, in the commune of San Pietro in Cariano and is in the heart of the Valpolicella wine region. It’s location, thanks to its geographical indicators provides the ideal location for exceptional viticulture. To the west, the vineyards benefit from the cooling breezes of Lake Garda; to the east, they are framed by the romantic and historic city of Verona. The northern boundary is guarded by the Lessini Mountains, while to the south, the fertile Adige River Valley nurtures the land. This unique geography creates an ideal microclimate with ample sunshine, cooling breezes, and dramatic diurnal shifts that shapes the distinctive character of Valpolicella wines. Thanks to the limestone rich soils, the wines combine a balance of freshness, elegance, and complexity. It is here that Tedeschi Winery has been crafting wines for centuries with a dedication to expressing Valpolicella’s terroir and history.
The Valpolicella Region: A Brief Background
When geography, history, and grapes all team up to create something unforgettable, you have entered Valpolicella. Picture rolling hills lined with vineyards, limestone-rich soils that bring freshness and minerality, and cooling breezes. It’s a trifecta and a winemaker’s dream. In fact, Romans made wine here and the region hasn’t slowed down. Over the years, it’s become famous for producing some of Italy’s most well known red wines varying in style offering a different personality but always tied to this unique land.
Indigenous varieties Corvina, Corvinone, Rondinella, and Molinara form the backbone of Valpolicella wines. Together, with some other local varieties, they provide the cherries, spice, structure, and balance that make these wines so distinctive. Each grape providing a dimension to the wine and each style uniquely enjoyable. Each one offering a new way to taste the region’s character and complexity.
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Valpolicella: light, fresh, and cherry-driven. Think of it as your everyday Italian red.
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Ripasso: nicknamed “baby Amarone,” richer and bolder thanks to its second fermentation on Amarone skins.
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Amarone della Valpolicella: made from partially dried grapes for concentrated flavors and power.
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Recioto della Valpolicella: the sweet, luscious original that gave rise to Amarone.
While Valpolicella’s hills, soils, and climate provide the components for exceptional wine, it’s wineries like Tedeschi that pull the parts together crafting each style from Valpolicella to Amarone ensuring the region’s essence is captured in every bottle.
Tedeschi Winery: Crafting Valpolicella’s Signature Wines
For generations, the Tedeschi family has been a major part of the Pedemonte di Valpolicella’s winemaking tradition. Since 1630, they recognized potential of local wines, blending historical techniques with innovation. By embracing modern production methods with a focus on sustainable practices, the Tedeschi family produces memorable wines while honoring the Pedemonte terroir.
The modern era of the winery truly began in the 1960s with Lorenzo Tedeschi, who recognized the unique potential of the grapes grown in the Monte Olmi vineyard. The vineyard was acquired by the family in 1918. With fruit from this site, he pioneered the approach of vinifying each grape separately—letting Corvina, Corvinone, and Rondinella express their individuality. This process gave rise to the creation of Amarone Capitel Monte Olmi. Terroir-driven winemaking leads the way for the philosophy of Tedeschi winery. Through carefully managed vineyards Tedeschi ensures their wines tell the story of its land.
Tasting Through Tedeschi: Six Wines, Six Stories
Valpolicella DOC wines are highly regulated. Seventy-five percent of the wine must be made using Corvina and Corvinone with Rondinella with the remaining 25% allowed to be other local varieties. All grapes are grown under strict yield limits. The region is divided into subzones including Classica and Valpantena. Basic Valpolicella wines must reach a minimum of 11% alcohol, while richer styles like Ripasso, Amarone, and Recioto require additional aging and production techniques that create deeper, more complex expressions of the land.
Through the six wines I received as samples, I was transported to the hills of Pedemonte di Valpolicella. Each bottle revealed a different character and nuance of the region.
2023 GA.RY IGT Veneto Bianco (MSRP: $22)
The 2023 GA.RY IGT Veneto Bianco is Tedeschi’s take on white wine. It is an exciting blend of 84% Garganega
10% Chardonnay, and 6% Riesling . This blend creates a wine that’s fresh, aromatic, and pure enjoyment. Grapes are hand-harvested in two stages. The Chardonnay is picked in September while the Riesling and Garganega are harvested in October. The fruit sees brief maceration and undergoes temperature controlled fermentation to preserve their delicate aromas. The wine is bottle-aged for eight months. On the nose, GA.RY offers notes of white flowers, tea, and golden apple. This wine shows Tedeschi’s willingness to explore new winemaking avenues while continuing to honor Valpolicella tradition.
2024 Lucchine: Valpolicella DOC (MSRP: $14)
A blend of 25% Corvina, 25% Corvinone, 30% Rondinella, 10% Molinara and 10% other traditional varieties, this wine acts as the introduction to the winery and region. After both alcoholic and malolactic fermentation is completed, the wine is aged in stainless steel for four months and then bottle aged for two months prior to release. The Lucchine vineyard, located at the foot of the Pedemonte hills, is known to produce grapes that yield a fresh and fruity wine.
2022 Capitel Nicalò Valpolicella Superiore DOC (MSRP: $24)
Tedeschi’s Capitel Nicalò Valpolicella Superiore DOC is crafted from a blend of 35% Corvina, 35% Corvinone, 20% Rondinella, and 10% other traditional varieties. This wine adds more depth and complexity than the DOC general wine. In order to increase the concentration of flavors, the grapes undergo a brief drying process prior to fermentation. Afterwards, the wine is aged in Slavonian oak barrels for approximately 12 months. It is then bottle aged for an additional 6 months. This aging process imparts subtle notes of vanilla and tobacco. On the palate, it presents a medium-bodied wine with flavors of dark cherry, plum, and hints of forest floor. The wine is extremely balanced with its acidity and well-integrated tannins. The finish is lingering.
2021 Capitel San Rocco Valpolicella Ripasso Superiore (MSRP: $30)
The Ripasso technique involves young Valpolicella wine being refermented on pomace. After a standard Valpolicella has completed its primary fermentation, it is refermented on the dried grape skins (pomace) left over from Amarone or Recioto production. These leftover skins are rich in concentrated sugars, flavors, and tannins, which is absorbed into the wine. This process naturally increases the wine’s alcohol content, color, and flavor intensity, producing richer aromas of dark cherry, plum, and dried fruits, along with spice and balsamic notes. Aged in Slavonian oak barrels for approximately 15 months adds to its complexity and smoothness while retaining its freshness. On the palate, the wine is medium- to full-bodied, with more structure than standard Valpolicella.
2021 Marne 180 Amarone della Valpolicella (MSRP: $26)
The 2021 Tedeschi Marne 180 Amarone della Valpolicella DOCG is a blend of 35% Corvina, 35% Corvinone, 20% Rondinella, and 10% other traditional varieties. The Marne 180 refers to the marl-rich soils and the southwest-to-southeast slope orientation of the vineyards. Grapes for this Amarone are sourced from several hillside plots across Valpolicella and are dried for about four months to concentrate their flavors. Following fermentation, the wine is aged three years in Slavonian oak barrels and then aged in the bottle for at least six months. The resulting wine is extremely aromatic, fresh, and complex.
2018 Capitel Monte Olmi Amarone Della Valpolicella Classico Riserva (MSRP: $100)
The flagship wine of Tedeschi Winery, Capitel Monte Olmi Amarone Della Valpolicella Classico Riserva, has been a grand Cru since 1964. This impressive wine is a blend of 30% Corvina, 30% Corvinone, 30% Rondinella and 10% other traditional varieties. The wine is crafted from grapes sourced exclusively from the Monte Olmi vineyard, The vines, which are an average of 20 years old, are on a southwest-facing slope and is laid out on terraces to ensure proper drainage during heavy rains while retaining moisture in dry periods.
Grapes are harvested by hand in mid-to-late September and dried for four months in order to concentrate sugars, flavors, and aromas. Afterwards, the fruit sees a soft press and a long fermentation. The wine is then aged 48 months in Slavonian oak barrels before undergoing an additional 12 months of bottle aging. The TLC given to this fruit is obvious upon tasting. This wine exudes cherry aromas and is complemented by balsamic and tobacco notes.
Pedemonte di Valpolicella isn’t just a place on the map—it’s a living Disneyland for wine. Between its rolling hills, marl-rich soils, and steep terraced slopes, this corner of Valpolicella allows each grape to tell a unique story. Every glass of wine sipped upon is like taking a sip of the landscape itself.
~Slàinte!
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