Issue link: http://digital.copcomm.com/i/552044
64 { THE SOMM JOURNAL } AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2015 Who: "Professors" Andrea Sartori and Christian Scrinzi What: An Amore for Amarone Where: Hotel Palomar, San Francisco, California by Karen Moneymaker / photos by Hardy Wilson Andrea Sartori, family proprietor of Sartori di Verona in the Veneto, represents five genera- tions of winemakers and wears his Verona pride on his sleeve. Founded in 1898, Andrea's great-grandfather, Pietro Sartori, was the first in their family to jump into the wine biz. In 1954, Andrea's father took over as Italy was rebuilding after the Second World War. "To this day, there are no pre-WWII wines in our library," bemoans Sartori. "The Germans drank them all!" The Sartori family has always had a great love for Verona (as is evidenced through their estate name) and are proud stewards of the winemaking tradi - tions of the region. "Verona is a rich area in terms of wine culture. It is shaped like an amphitheater," explained Christian Scrinzi, Chief Winemaker for Bolla, "with five valleys, each with its own profile, fanned out like the fingers of a hand, and the temperature is mitigated by Lake Garda." After the Corvina, Rondinella and Molinara are harvested, the appassimento or drying process takes place in a fruttaio, literally, fruit-house or drying barn. Usually located on a breezy hill, appassimento takes place on the second floor of the well-ventilated structure, where shutters are opened and closed to facilitate airflow during the three-month, whole- cluster drying process. "You can have a perfect growing season, but if the drying season is wet and humid it can really affect the quality of the vintage," notes Scrinzi. "The grapes continue to develop physiologically during the drying process, as they are still attached to their stems, and will lose approximately 30% of their body weight in this time. One kilogram of grapes will typically yield 40 cl. of finished wine. The fermentation process itself takes about a month to finish naturally." As Sartori fittingly noted, "Amarone is a wine of meditation." And meditate we did, as we tasted through the Sartori di Verona "Corte Brà" Amarone della Valpolicella Classico vintages 1995, 1998, 2003 and 2009, and the Bolla "Le Origini"Amarone della Valpolicella Classico Riserva vintages 1997, 2000, 2003, 2007 and 2009, as well as a special guest, the Sartori di Verona 2009 "I Saltari" Valpolicella Superiore. The Amore for Amarone seminar in full swing with (from left) Lars Leicht, National Director of Cru Artisan Wines; Christian Scrinzi, Chief Winemaker for Bolla; Headmaster Christopher Sawyer; and Andrea Sartori, family proprietor of Sartori di Verona. SF Cru Artisan College Headmaster Christopher Sawyer opens the floor for our distinguished "professors." The class was treated to a superb lineup of Amarone from Sartori di Verona and Bolla. Headmaster Christopher Sawyer (right) in deep discussion between seminars with Eduardo Dingler, Corporate Beverage Director for Morimoto Restaurants, and Laura Koffer, Manager of Bottega Napa Valley. PHOTO: MARGARET SOSS