Summerton Wine Experience - A taste of Valpolicella

Our first Wine Experience: A delivery of three red wines showing casing the best of Valpolicella. 

We have partnered with La Dama in Valpolicella to create this experience, which consists of:

• Valpolicella Classico Doc 
• Valpolicella Ripasso Doc Superiore Classico
• Amarone della Valpolicella Docg Classico

You may have seen I was touring Italy's vineyards last year, sourcing special barrels to age whisky in and looking for the wines that would make up our first Summerton Wine Experience.

Valpolicella was the obvious choice for our first Wine Experience, a region dedicated to creating top quality wines with some unique elements to how they do it. Also, I'm a massive fan of Amarone (both to drink and use as whisky casks) therefore knew it was where I wanted to start.

Whilst in Valpolicella I visited a small organic vineyard that produces fantastic wines and were perfect for our Wine Experience, something I knew I wanted to share with everyone, therefore have imported their bottles and can now offer to all.

This Wine Experience consists of three red wines from this one vineyard, showing off the main wines of the region...full bodied, fruity, delicious!

Members please remember to use your discount code for 10% off this experience.

3x75CL • 12.5%, 14% & 16% Vol

“I am Gabriele, and together with my wife Miriam and our team, we are delighted to present to you three of our most representative wines. 

Each bottle in this package is the result of our daily work and our love for Valpolicella, a region located in northern Italy, nestled between the romantic city of Verona and the nearby Lake Garda, which for centuries has given us extraordinary quality grapes. 

La Dama is an organic winery: we cultivate our grapes using natural methods, without the use of chemicals, and we vinify directly on the premises to ensure the utmost respect for nature and the land. Every wine we produce is born from a deep connection to the land, a land we respect at every stage of production. We’re adding some additional information about our wines here to offer you a more detailed overview of what you'll find in your bottle and help you choose the perfect pairing. 

Each wine has its own story and character, fully representing Valpolicella, and we hope these notes enrich your experience.

Our Vineyards in the Valpolicella Classica Region

Valpolicella Classica, the heart of the region, is a land rich in winemaking tradition, composed of the five historic towns: Sant'Ambrogio di Valpolicella, Negrar di Valpolicella, San Pietro in Cariano, Marano di Valpolicella, and Fumane. Each town has its own unique character, but they all share a long tradition of viticulture.

Our vineyards extend across diverse terrains: the Ca' Besi vineyard covers about 6 hectares and is characterized by soil rich in clay placed over alluvial debris. The vines are trained using the Veronese pergola system with a density of 3500 plants per hectare. Many of the vines are over 40 years old, allowing them to produce grapes rich in polyphenols and of superior quality. In these rows, where the tradition of the Negrar valley is palpable, our winery is located, in the center of the valley, in a dry and ventilated area ideal for the natural drying of the grapes in our drying rooms.

Moving west, we encounter the Colombarino vineyard, located on the slopes of the westernmost hill of the Valpolicella Classica, overlooking the Val d'Adige. The vineyard’s western exposure makes it particularly privileged. Lake Garda plays a fundamental role in the terroir of this plot: after midday, the sun directly illuminates the vines and reflects off the lake’s waters, returning light to the hillside and intensifying the light the grapes receive. At an altitude of 350 meters above sea level, the vineyard benefits from significant temperature fluctuations, which help maintain high acidity in the grapes even at full ripeness. The soil, calcareous, clayey, and rich in schists, contributes to giving the wines a unique character. The vines are trained using the Guyot system, with a density of 5000 plants per hectare.

In this land with roots in viticulture dating back to Roman times, every bottle we produce represents our commitment to honoring a millenary tradition, blending it with innovation to create wines that tell the passion and authenticity of this extraordinary region.

Amarone della Valpolicella Docg Classico

Amarone is the wine that made Valpolicella famous, a dry red wine from dried grapes that contains an explosion of extraordinary aromas and flavors. Our interpretation of Amarone comes from carefully selected grapes from vineyards with more than fifty years of history, resulting in a wine where elegance tames great power, giving the sip a distinct longevity.

The grapes, carefully selected, are placed in crates of about 6 kg and transferred to the drying room, where the drying process lasts about 100 days. During this period, the grapes lose 30-40% of their water, concentrating sugars and aromas. Once the drying process is complete, the grapes are gently pressed and fermented in natural cement vats, where maceration continues for about 30 days, extracting all structural components. After fermentation, the wine matures in French oak barrels for 36 months, further refining its character before being bottled and resting for another 12 months.

The result is a wine with a deep ruby colour, with garnet reflections that testify to its complexity. The aroma opens with delicate floral notes of peonies and roses, evolving into more mature fruits like maraschino cherries and dried red plums. Cloves, peat, and licorice are added, giving a pleasant balsamic and fresh character to the bouquet. On the palate, Amarone is warm and enveloping, with a velvety tannin that gives it great persistence and depth. The balsamic aromas blend harmoniously, offering a sensation of freshness that makes the sip pleasant and dynamic. Its intensity calls for rich and flavorful dishes, such as game, braised meats, or aged cheeses, creating perfect pairings and enhancing the tasting experience.

Valpolicella Ripasso Doc Superiore Classico

Ripasso is a wine I particularly love, as it embodies the deepest soul of Valpolicella. It starts with a base of Valpolicella that undergoes a second fermentation on the pomace of Amarone, a process that imparts to the wine a rich and complex structure, without losing its elegance. This unique technique gives Ripasso extraordinary depth, with a bouquet that ranges from ripe red fruits such as cherries, red plums, and raspberries, to mentholated and citrusy notes of red oranges. Spices like cinnamon and cardamom complete the aromatic profile, creating a perfect balance between freshness and complexity.
The grapes, after being harvested and crushed, begin fermentation in natural cement vats. At the end of February, the wine is blended with the Amarone pomace to start the second fermentation, a characteristic of the Ripasso technique. After this phase, the wine matures in wood for 18 months and refines further in the bottle for another 6 months. The result is a wine with a luminous ruby colour, offering a fresh and pleasantly light sip, thanks to the acidity that balances the alcohol.

Perfect for pairing with more structured dishes such as roasts, game, or aged cheeses, Ripasso is extremely versatile and expresses itself at its best with main meat dishes like grilled beef. Every sip will offer you an intense and enveloping experience, reflecting the tradition and richness of Valpolicella.

Valpolicella Classico Doc 

This wine is a tribute to the freshness and liveliness of our Valpolicella. The grapes, freshly harvested and immediately pressed, ferment in cement vats, a process that impeccably preserves the aromas reminiscent of freshly picked fruit. After being destemmed and gently pressed the same evening of the harvest, the grapes are promptly transferred to cement vats, where fermentation begins. Every stage of the process is designed to maintain the delicacy and elegance of the wine. After about 10 days of fermentation, the wine rests in cement for 7 months, before being bottled.
With its brilliant ruby colour and delicate aromas of fresh red fruits, Valpolicella Classico presents itself as a light wine but full of character. 

It is perfect for convivial moments and pairs beautifully with simple traditional dishes, such as pasta with ragù, white meats, and fresh cheeses. A wine that embodies the simplicity and authenticity of our land, telling the genuineness of a territory that knows how to offer real emotions.

Every bottle you open is the fruit of our passion, and we hope it brings you special moments, just as it does for us every day.”