We all know the region of Veneto, Italy’s most prolific wine region, for its Amarone and Valpolicella reds and garganega-based Soave whites, but dig a little deeper and you’ll discover a wealth of jewels outside these historic labels.
One such jewel is Our Wine Choice for this week, the Roeno Riesling Trevenezie Praecipuus 2021, which comes from a family winery at the western end of the region near Lake Garda.
Here, in an area called Terradeiforti – the “land of the forts,” after the series of medieval castles in the region – the Fugatti family, owners of the Roeno winery, have been tending their string of vineyards that run alongside the Adige river for over 50 years.
Praecipuus is a fresh, vibrant white, made and aged for a year in stainless steel, and from the first whiff it’s unmistakably riesling, offering you the typical limey/peachy fruit aromas and even a suggestion of gasoline.
But the palate is a real zinger! The combination of bright acidity, a phenolic texture and a hint of elegant, lime-and-peach-stained sweetness produces what seems to be an endless finish and you can’t wait to raise your glass for another shot.
Also tasted in the same flight was Roeno’s equally exciting, oak-aged Riesling Renano Collezione di Famiglia 2018 – further confirmation that riesling feels much at home in these parts. No surprise, perhaps, in view of the close proximity of the border with the region of Trentino, where the Teutonic influence starts to creep in and riesling becomes more of an everyday occurrence than a pleasant surprise.
– Jo Cooke, Tastings Editor
