The Second round of May visitors arrived today, and we wasted no time in getting them acclimated to life in Italy. The best thing to do on a rainy day? Drink wine, of course! So immediately after a quick smorgasbord luncheon at Casa di Maul, we headed west to Azienda Agricola Ca’Rugate.
This isn’t the first tour we’ve done of Ca’Rugate. It was recommended to us when we stayed overnight at Antica Corte after a Progetto Voce opera evening in Verona. Then we took several of our 2014 guest award recipients back to sample some of the best wines we’ve ever had, and of course to re-stock our wine supply.
First a little Ca’Rugate history, which has been managed by the Tessari family for four generations. Vineyards are located in both the Soave Classico and Valpolicella viticultural regions, two of the most famous in all of Italy. Overall, 70 hectars of vines are producing the grape varieties Garganega, Trebbiano, Corvina, Rondinella, and Corvinone.
Today, Giorgia, our guide, conducted a private tour for us of the entire production process, from the bottling and winemaking facilities, shipping and logistics, the cellar and maturation vats, and the Ca’Rugate EnoMuseum, with exhibits showcasing the tools, instruments, and techniques from the last 100 years of winemaking.
Following the tour, we proceeded to a private tasting room, where we were walked through 10 unique wines, ranging from the crisp white Monte Fiorentine Soave Classico though to the elite fortified aromatic and full bodied Amarone Della Valpolicella Punta Tolotti. We also had the opportunity to appreciate two sparkling wines and two dessert wines.
Your full tasting experience including the tour is only 15,00€ per person. Really an outstanding way to spend two hours on a rainy afternoon, sampling 10 different superior wines from two world famous viticultural regions under one roof. Obviously our intent is to share this experience with our guests, but once again, we found ourselves taking the opportunity to stock up on a few of our favorites for the weeks ahead.
Intentionally International 