2021 Inama Carmenere Più Veneto Rosso

Wine house Inama is located near the northern Italian city of Verona. The Inama family has been producing wines for more than 40 years and is the only activity that focuses entirely on them. Wijnhuis Inama is now run by Stefano and Guiseppe Inama, the 3rd generation, with the vision: producing various wines in which, despite the styles and trends of the moment, they mainly want to make wines where their vision of the beautiful country is sufficiently represented. . Therefore, an organic agricultural system is used because it produces better fruit. Wijnhuis Inama follows its own course and has therefore developed its own know-how, without consulting all kinds of experts and wine gurus. They believe in wine that generates emotions and therefore prefer to taste "blind".

Wine has been made in Veneto since time immemorial. Especially the fertile volcanic and calcareous soils along the foot of the Alps were early on as the origin of high-quality wines. In the surrounding plain, simple wines were made for local consumption. Today, as the largest wine region after Sicily and Apulia, Veneto accounts for the largest amount of DOP wines in Italy. One of the most famous is Valpolicella, with its famous Ripasso and Amarone, made from partly dried grapes. Beautiful white wines come from Soave, mainly from the garganega grape. A rather unknown gem is the DO Colli Berici!

The Colli Berici DOC is located near Vicenza, east of the more famous appellations of origin Valpolicella and Soave, this hilly region, which rises to 267 meters high, has a wine past. Among other things, grape seeds have been found that date back to the Paleolithic. Centuries later, documents from the 12th century proved that viticulture was flourishing there too. And the construction of the magnificent Palladian villas were a sign that the wealthy Venetian bourgeoisie enjoyed themselves there.

The region is located just a few kilometers southeast of the Soave hills, in the southern part of the province of Vicenza, but despite this proximity it is completely different from the Soave Classico. The Colli Berici, separated by the Pre-Alps, have half the annual rainfall and average temperatures higher than those in the Soave Classico area. In the landscape we see forests that go from the plain towards the plateaus, on which most of the vineyards are located and form a kind of fragmented plots with various slopes, heights and locations. Besides the fact that these forests provide more freshness in the warm summer months, they also provide greater biodiversity.

The Veneto, known for its imaginative Venice and Lago di Garda. The varied landscape of the Veneto stretches from the Alps to the Adriatic Sea and includes mountains, hills, lakes, river valleys, plains and coastal areas.

More information about Veneto

In the field of wine production, the Veneto stands for both quantity and quality. With an annual production of about 9 million hectoliters from 75,000 hectares of vineyard, this region is number 1, closely followed by Apulieum; and Sicilium ;.

The quality is expressed in the allocation of the number of classifications: the region has 2 DOCGs and 19 DOCs. However, two thirds of the total wine production falls under the 9 IGTs of the region. This means that in addition to a large number of quality wines, the Veneto is also a major producer and exporter of relatively cheaper and easily drinkable wines. In the region almost all types of wine are represented: young white and red wines, a considerable amount of sparkling wines, solid red wines and finally the passiti, within which the Recioto di Soave even enjoys the status of DOCG.

The most famous wines are undoubtedly the Soave, the Valpolicella and the Bardolino. All three come from the westernmost part of the region, around the city of Verona and Lake Garda. The first is a dry white wine based on the Garganega, in combination with the Trebbiano di Soave. Large quantities of it are produced and exported. As with the Valpolicella and the Bardolino, the quality can be quite different, although there have been significant successes across the board in terms of quality in recent years.

The best dry Soave's are usually found at the winemakers who also score high with the sweet DOCG version of the Soave, the Recioto di Soave. A beautiful golden yellow wine, made from partially dried grapes from the Garganega, supplemented with a maximum of 30% Trebbiano di Soave and / or Chardonnay and / or Pinot blanc. The dry Soave has a slightly bitter aftertaste and is a suitable accompaniment for various fish dishes and seafood.

The Valpolicella, from the area around the village of the same name between Verona and Lake Garda, is a blend of various grape varieties of which the Corvina Veronese and the Rondinella form the main basis. The result, as mentioned, varies in quality, but in general the Valpolicella can be characterized as soft, full and dry, which makes it a good accompaniment to many meat and pasta dishes.

Information about The Amarone della Valpolicella

The Amarone della Valpolicella is a phenomenon in itself: the late harvested grapes are placed on reed mats to dry in the sun, or hung in well-ventilated areas, so that the grapes largely dry out while the sugars are preserved. The grapes are not pressed until January and a sugar- and extract-rich must is produced. The final result is a powerful red wine that can achieve an alcohol content of approximately 15% due to the overall fermentation of the grape sugars. In addition to the high alcohol content, the wine is characterized by an intense bouquet and a full, complex structure with a pleasant bitterness ('amaro'). Fits well with game and hearty meat dishes, as well as with matured cheeses and is very suitable for bottle aging. When the grape sugars are not completely converted into alcohol, this is called a Recioto di Valpolicella: a sweet red dessert wine with an alcohol content of at least 14%.

Information about The Bardolino

The Bardolino, also from the hills around Verona, is also gaining fame. The Bardolino Superiore and the Bardolino Classico Superiore are now even allowed to put DOCG on the label. These are ruby red wines that must have at least 12% alcohol and must have had wood aging for 1 year before being placed on the market. They are dry, slightly bitter, but very delicate wines that can be drunk with various light meat dishes, but also with antipasti based on meat and cheese. In addition to the Bardolino Superiore, people also know the increasingly popular Bardolino Novello and the Bardolino Chiaretto. The latter is partially prepared without grape skins and owes its light cherry-red color. Both should be drunk young and slightly chilled.

The Bianco di Custoza, also from the Verona area, is made from Garganega and Trebbiano Toscano, among others. It is a fresh, slightly spicy white wine that is gaining fame, not only in Italy itself but also beyond.

Another 'given' in the Veneto is the Proscecco, which comes from the northeastern part of the region, around the villages of Conegliano and Valdobbiadene, and is made from the grape variety by the same name. Although there are also sweet varieties, most Proseccos are dry and almost always sparkling to a greater extent (in the form of a Spumante) or to a lesser extent (in the form of a Frizzante). The inhabitants of the Veneto like to enjoy this fresh white wine as an aperitif or with various salads and light fish dishes.

Two areas that are gaining popularity in wine production are the Colli Berici, for its creditable wines from international grape varieties, and the Colli Euganei, where ever better red and white wines are produced from native grape varieties. The Gambellara is made in the Vicenza area, east of Verona. A soft dry white wine with a nice bitter aftertaste. Drink as aperitif or as a companion to various fish dishes, salads and light meat dishes.

Finally, we mention the Torcolato: a beautiful velvety golden yellow sweet wine from dried grapes with a rich bouquet and a delicate taste with notes of honey and almond. The Torcolato falls under the DOC Breganze.

Originally a French blue grape, it has been given the status of a 'national' grape in Chile. Carmenère originates from Bordeaux, but was no longer planted there after the phylloxera plague at the end of the nineteenth century, because its yields were too irregular. In Chile, it was mistaken for merlot until the mid-1980s. Once the Chileans had recovered from the shock of the 'unmasking', they embraced carmenère as their own grape. 

What does Carmenère wine taste like?

With a glass of carmenère, you can expect flavors of raspberry, sour cherries, or green chilies. Carmenère wines have notes of red fruit with a subtle bitter taste. In terms of body and structure, this wine has a lot in common with a merlot.