Veneto
MARCH 2026
map credit: veronissima.com
Inspired by February's Milano-Cortina Olympic Games, we decided to highlight the wonderful wines from Veneto, pretty much smack-between the two Olympic villages – one in Milano (with the ice rink and ice racetrack sports) and Cortina d'Ampezzo (hosting the outside mountain sports).
Between these two locations is a famous lake – Lago di Garda – and to the east and south (between the lake and Verona) are the appellations of Valpolicella, Bardolino, and Lugana. Your three club wines come from estates in each of these three appellations. We were blown away. Hope you are, too!
Photo top: Zenato Winery – view of Lago di Garda and surrounding hills
2-BOTTLE CLUB
Luciano Arduini
Valpolicella, Veneto, Italy
Gabriele Arduini founded this winery in the 1940's in the village of Marano di Valpolicella. His three sons, Battista, Alfredo, and Turrido took over in 1969, adding two additional vineyard sites to the estate, one in Corrubbio and the other in Campara. In 2002, Battista built the first estate winery and started making wine under his family's name. Today, Battista runs all aspects of the estate with his wife Sylvana and their two adult children.
They produce mainly traditional reds: Amarone della Valpolicella, Valpolicella Ripasso, and Valpolicella Classico & Superiore. All are red blends made from some combination of the traditional grapes: Corvina, Rondinella, Molinara, and Corvinone.
Luciano Arduini 2023 Valpoliclla Ripasso Classico Superiore • Veneto, Italy • Reg $29.99 | Mixed Case $23.99
The traditional “Ripasso” technique ferments Valpolicella wines a second time (for 10 days between February and March) using the marc (leftover pressed grapes) from our Amarone wines (where the grapes are dried in crates for 100 days after harvest prior to making the wine). The Amarone marc increases the alcohol content and gives the wine more depth of color, aroma, and flavor. –winery's notes.
Blend: Corvina (60%), Corvinone (20%), Rondinella (20%). Aged in oak casks for 12 months and then longer in bottle before release. Spicy black & red plums with herbal notes. Acidity is fantastic. Palate is full of plums then black cherries, blackberries. This wine has a lot of life, but it's so great now! Herbal notes on the finish. Fantastic wine. Drink now to 3 years. Enjoy with roasted and grilled meats (traditionally gamey meats), lasagna, mushroom risotto & more.
Pictured: Battista Arduini
Zenato
Lugana, Veneto, Italy
Founded in 1960 in Lugana (southern tip of Lake Garda), Sergio Zenato and his life partner, Carla Prospero (pictured below), pioneered the growing of native grape varieties (specifically the white grape Trebbiano di Lugana). Today, their daughter & son (Nadia & Alberto) run the estate which has grown to 95 hectares split between several properties.
They produce a large line of wines, including the Rosso Veneto in your club, which is similar to the idea behind a Toscana Rosso (Super Tuscan), whereby the wine gets the IGT (table wine) designation, but then the producer doesn't have to follow the DOC/DOCG rules and can blend whatever grapes they think would be delicious.
Zenato 2022 Alanera • Veneto, Italy • Reg $28.99 | Mixed Case $23.19
Alanera IGT is a Rosso Veneto with a blend of Corvina 55%, Rondinella 25%, Corvinone 10% (traditional grapes) with a small amount (10% total) of Merlot & Cabernet Sauvignon (international grapes), which add some body & depth to the wine. "All grapes undergo a gentle drying process [2-3 months] that enriches structure and amplifies aromatic complexity while preserving freshness and balance." So, we'll call this a mini-Amarone. So fun! Oak barrel aging for 12 months.
Herbal, earthy nose (soft, pleasant rosemary) and dark plums. Medium-bodied with soft acidity. Red and back plums, black cherries, blackberries, with soft earthy notes on the smooth, soft finish. Great sipper and even better with mushroom risotto or pasta, gnocchi with pork ragù, Piccata Milanese & more. Great wine. Drink now to 2 years.
Photo below: summer dinner in the Zenato estate vineyards
3-BOTTLE CLUB
Guerrieri-Rizzardi
Bardolino, Veneto, Italy
This estate – based in Bardolino, on the southeast shore of Lake Garda – has a regal history, "the union of two ancient Veronese winemaking families of substance: the Counts Guerrieri, owners of a centuries-old estate with vineyards and cellars in Bardolino, and the Counts Rizzardi, who acquired their vineyards in Negrar back in 1678, building the historic cellar of Pojega shortly thereafter."
Today, the Rizzardi family runs the estate "with vineyards in the four Classico areas with a thriving production of Bardolino, Valpolicella, Soave, and Valdadige."
Guerrieri-Rizzardi 2023 Pojega Valpolicella Ripasso • Veneto, Italy • Reg $27.99 | Mixed Case $22.39
Blend of Corvina 45%, Corvinone 37%, Merlot 10%, Rondinella 8%. Complex nose from their Pojega vineyard: herbs, dark plums, red plums, spices. Super inviting wine. Then on the palate: all colors of plums, blueberries, tayberries. Super balanced to the finish, which is long with blackberries, earth, herbs and a note of licorice. Man, this wine is so good! Drink now to 2 years. Truly great now. Don’t wait too long.
A Note from Jens:
Your wine club pick-up tasting is always the 2nd Saturday of the month. We host this tasting so that you can taste and learn about your wines before enjoying them at home.
This month's club theme is a tribute to the amazing wines produced around Lago di Garda. I grew up with these wines as a mainstay in the Munich wine market, but in Seattle, they are a little bit lesser-known. We are trying to change that!
Also, here's a quick plug for Verona, which is 30 minutes due east of the southern tip of the lake. What a great city! It's not heavily touristy, with an amazing Roman amphitheater (where the closing ceremonies were held) and a beautiful thriving old town & market. They've got an amazing medieval castle (Castelvecchio) and don't forget Juliet's balcony!! We went with our kids when they were little, and they loved it!
You can also taste the Portalis EXPLORES club wines at the tasting. March's theme is South Australia featuring a Shiraz-Viognier blend and a Pinot Grigio. Amazing value.
Cheers,
Jens Strecker, Owner
Portalis Wine Shop
If you are here because you’re curious about our wine clubs: Here’s more general info & online sign-up. You can also peruse the last 12 months of both clubs to get a feel for the themes we pick and the wines we showcase: Portalis EXPLORES (our everyday wine club) & Portalis FLAGSHIP (our signature club).