Consorzio Garda Classico
Viale della Bornata, 110 - 25123 Brescia - Italy
tel +39 030 364755 - fax +39 030 364775
info@gardaclassico.it
Viale della Bornata, 110 - 25123 Brescia - Italy
tel +39 030 364755 - fax +39 030 364775
info@gardaclassico.it
Wines Italy Wine . Chiaretto Historical Notes
By tradition, the first and the best bunches of the Garda Classico harvest are destined for the production of Chiaretto. The vinification technique discovered by intuition in the distant past, and codified for the first time by the Venetian senator Pompeo Molmenti, (a regular visitor to Moniga del Garda) finally received precise regulation in 1962 by the Brescian Wine Consortium.
It should be noted that on 21 July 1967 it became one of the first wines in Italy to receive the recognition of DOC Denominazione di Origine Controllata (Controlled Denomination of Origin) and was thus subjected to the consequent regulations with regards to quality and typicity.
To obtain the characteristics of Chiaretto, the must has to have brief contact with the grape skins after pressing. This allows the extraction of colour and other basic components inherent to the wine. If the contact phase is too short, the wine is faint, incomplete, with poorly defined colour. If it is even slightly too long, the wine becomes an impersonal half-red, too vinous, lacking any distinguishing characteristics. It is clear that the winemaker must know how to catch the right “fleeting moment” for separating the must from the skins. This varies from year to year depending on the progression of the season and the ripeness and health of the grapes.
This is one of the few productive processes where the sensitivity of the human touch is so critical. This winemaking technique developed over a long period of time, and without this long period of study and improvement newer developments and modern refining techniques would never have been able to equal the standards long-set by time and tradition.
Modern vinification techniques and in particular the precise use of temperature control during fermentation, allow the intense and particular scents, particularly that of fresh fruit, to be exalted. It is certainly the generous alcohol content of this wine that gives it the particular velvety sensation felt initially on the palate (favoured by the selection of the best grapes and the vinification technique). This marries well with the aroma of bitter almond and the sapid finish which is due to the presence of salts the local soil has conferred on the vines and grapes of this area.
The balance of all these components, the vast array of composite, refined scents and flavours expresses the typology of this rosé wine with its unmistakable personality.
Chiaretto best expresses its characteristics throughout the year following the harvest, particularly from the end of February through to summer’s end. This wine is best served at a fairly low temperature – 10-13 degrees, and therefore it is especially well suited to summertime drinking. Tulip-shaped glasses should be used to make the most of this wine’s aromas.
It is a wine for all meals, and matches well with every course: starters, simple preparations of white meat, sea food, and obviously – by long held tradition – lake fish.
It should be noted that on 21 July 1967 it became one of the first wines in Italy to receive the recognition of DOC Denominazione di Origine Controllata (Controlled Denomination of Origin) and was thus subjected to the consequent regulations with regards to quality and typicity.
To obtain the characteristics of Chiaretto, the must has to have brief contact with the grape skins after pressing. This allows the extraction of colour and other basic components inherent to the wine. If the contact phase is too short, the wine is faint, incomplete, with poorly defined colour. If it is even slightly too long, the wine becomes an impersonal half-red, too vinous, lacking any distinguishing characteristics. It is clear that the winemaker must know how to catch the right “fleeting moment” for separating the must from the skins. This varies from year to year depending on the progression of the season and the ripeness and health of the grapes.
This is one of the few productive processes where the sensitivity of the human touch is so critical. This winemaking technique developed over a long period of time, and without this long period of study and improvement newer developments and modern refining techniques would never have been able to equal the standards long-set by time and tradition.
Modern vinification techniques and in particular the precise use of temperature control during fermentation, allow the intense and particular scents, particularly that of fresh fruit, to be exalted. It is certainly the generous alcohol content of this wine that gives it the particular velvety sensation felt initially on the palate (favoured by the selection of the best grapes and the vinification technique). This marries well with the aroma of bitter almond and the sapid finish which is due to the presence of salts the local soil has conferred on the vines and grapes of this area.
The balance of all these components, the vast array of composite, refined scents and flavours expresses the typology of this rosé wine with its unmistakable personality.
Chiaretto best expresses its characteristics throughout the year following the harvest, particularly from the end of February through to summer’s end. This wine is best served at a fairly low temperature – 10-13 degrees, and therefore it is especially well suited to summertime drinking. Tulip-shaped glasses should be used to make the most of this wine’s aromas.
It is a wine for all meals, and matches well with every course: starters, simple preparations of white meat, sea food, and obviously – by long held tradition – lake fish.