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Valtellina, Do You Mean Valpolicella?
Ask most wine drinkers, even serious enthusiasts, where is Valtellina? You’ll get a blank stare or a shrug of the shoulders. You need to be a pretty serious Nebbiolo enthusiast to have heard of Valtellina.

No, I Mean Valtellina
Valtellina is tucked in the Adda river valley in the foothills of the Swiss Alps in far north-central Italy. It’s a shorter drive to St. Moritz than to Milan. Even the grape variety is secret: Chiavennasca.  Except that Chiavennasca is more commonly known as Nebbiolo.  The vineyards are carved out of terraces on the steep south facing slopes North of the river. It’s a small area with a narrow strip of vineyard land. All the vineyard work must be done by hand. It’s no wonder that the wines of Valtellina may be little known. Surprisingly, they are not overly expensive given the amount of hand labor required!

Nebbiolo: the King of Grapes in Valtellina
Valtellina produces almost exclusively red wines, made of Chiavennasca, the local name for the Nebbiolo grape. Local wines made with Chiavennasca have developed different characteristics from their cousins in Barolo or Barbaresco. Less tannic and powerful, the nebbiolos of Valtellina are more delicate, with a lot of elegance. Because of the topography and the terraces, mechanization is impossible and everything in the vineyards is done by hand, from growing the grape to harvesting.

Key Valtellina Wine Denominations
In Valtellina, you’ll find the following main DOC and DOCG wines:

• Rosso di Valtellina DOC (made with at least 90% nebbiolo); and
• Valtellina Superiore DOCG (at least 90% nebbiolo, and a minimum aging time of 24 months in barrel)
• Sforzato di Valtellina DOCG, an appassimento wine (like Amarone). The grapes used in the Sforzato di Valtellina come from the highest vineyards in altitude. The minimum level of alcohol has to reach 14 percent and the wines need to be aged a minimum of 20 months in oak.

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Valtellina Wine Growers
Nino Negri (previous posts here, here, and here) and Arpepe (previous post here) are both good size producers in the region, and you may have some luck finding their wines in many markets. Giorgio Gianatti will be more difficult to find. He farms just 2.5 hectares (5.5 acres) of steeply terraced land in the Grumello vineyard in Valtellina. His wines are imported by Balanced Wine Selections, so you may be able to track some down if you’re interested.

Here’s a bit of information from Balanced Wine Selections on Giorgio Giamatti:

“Giorgio Gianatti has been in the vineyards since 1978 when he began making wine alongside his father. In 1983 Giorgio put out his first vintage. The Nebbiolo for Gianatti’s Grumello comes from a two-hectare parcel known as Vigna Sassina. La Sassina is on the eastern side of Grumello near the border with Inferno. Giorgio’s vines sit east of a large portion of Ar.Pe.Pe.’s Grumello vines in the lower, historic section of Grumello at the foot of the Castel Grumello.  South and east facing the two hectares today appear as one contiguous parcel — something of a rarity in the hills of Valtellina — but it is in fact the amalgamation of over 35 different tracts; some as small as 100 meters.  Years of piecing small plots together.

Like most of the terrain in Valtellina, Giorgio’s Grumello vineyards are frighteningly steep slopes on which to grow grapes. Each day is a true test as this is a hard place to make wine. Add to the rigors and stresses that come with winemaking on flat terrain the need to rebuild rock terraces by hand in order to keep from seeing your vines slide off the hillside. This is a place where true character comes through in the wines because without it, you wouldn’t make wine here.

Traditional in style. Not as a matter of fashion but as a way of life.”

Az. Agr. Gianatti Giorgio Valtellina Superiore “Grumello” 2009 ($23 at Sunfish Cellars)
Eye: Clear, pale ruby with a classic Nebbiolo orange rim
Nose: Clean, initially a bit smoky with shy cherry fruit behind. After being open a few hours, ripe, sweet cherry fruit (Julie called cherry cough drops) comes to the front with smoke behind.
Mouth: Dry, medium body with medium acidity and medium tannins. The tannins are elegant and not at all rough. Sweet cherry fruit with a firm tannic backbone and nice long finish.

When You Visit Valtellina
If you haven’t already guessed, I have marked Valtellina on my future “must visit” list. In case you decide to join me or precede me, here’s a little information to get you started:

• Valtellina Wine Consortium’s website: www.vinidivaltellina.it.
• A nice introduction to the area with good suggestions on where to stay and where to eat from  Wine Tourist Magazine
• Contact information on Az. Agr. Gianatti Giorgio (tastings are by reservation)
  • Mountain in Valtellina (SO) in via dei Portici, 82
  • +39 0342 380033
  • +39 3285682299
  • 0342 200373
  • gianattigiorgio@valtellina.info
  • http://www.vinidivaltellina.it/Produttori/27-Gianatti-Giorgio.html