Video by Alfonso.
This post is not about the amazing wines we tasted a few weeks ago in the cellar of Giuseppe Quintarelli. No, it’s not about the 1998 Alzero (pronounced AHL-tzeh-roh, btw, and not ahl-TZEH-roh).* No, it’s not about the 2000 Amarone della Valpolicella Classico Riserva (yes, the first riserva ever produced at Quintarelli, with 10 years as opposed to 8 years in cask before bottling). No, it’s not about the 1997 Recioto della Valpolicella, one of the best wines I have ever tasted in my life.
The 2000 Amarone della Valpolicella Selezione Giuseppe Quintarelli is the winery’s first-ever reserve wine. Note that the bottle is numbered by hand.
No, this post is about the genuine, sincere hospitality of one of the world’s greatest winemakers. Don’t believe what anyone else tells you (and industry insiders know the person I’m referring to here): it’s not impossible to visit Quintarelli… in fact, it’s encouraged by the winery.
“‘The gates of the winery must always be open… always…,'” said Luca Fedrigo, quoting Bepi Quintarelli. Luca worked side-by-side with Bepi for 10 years and he kindly accompanied me, Tracie P, and Alfonso that day. “Once, when Bepi went to Rome to see the Pope — and he rarely traveled — he gave me the keys to the winery and told me to never leave, not even for a minute,” said Luca. “‘The winery must always be open to anyone who arrives and you must always be there to welcome visitors.'”
Above: Note the size of this 40-year-old cask, the centerpiece of the aging cellar. And note the thickness of the cask’s walls.
In fact, said the twenty-something Bocconi graduate Francesco Grigoli (Bepi’s grandson, the son of Bepi’s daughter Fiorenza, who has returned to the winery now that his grandfather is incapacitated and who led our tasting that day), “we are happy to receive visitors for tastings” (although an appointment is kindly advised).
Despite what Quintarelli’s legendary U.S. importer and his leading U.S. retailer tell people (and you know which “wine merchant” I’m talking about here, too), the winery is not a cloistered sanctum sanctorum “off-limits” to the plebeian among us.
Above: It was amazing to tour the cellar with Luca, who worked side-by-side with Bepi from the time he was 17 years old until 27. In this photo, he was explaining to me the significance of the peacock on the winery’s largest cask. “Bepi is a deeply religious man,” he said. In antiquity, the peacock was a symbol of immortality and the Paleo-Christians adopted it as a symbol of Christ.
While appointments and interviews may have posed challenges for the non-Italophone among us, I have spoken to and interviewed Bepi by telephone on many occasions and I have arranged visits for many of my friends and colleagues. That’s not to say that a visit to Quintarelli is something that should be contemplated lightheartedly. It’s one of the greatest wineries in the world and it’s one of the last great wineries — and the greatest winery — of the Valpolicella where traditional Valpolicella wines are still produced. The wines are prohibitively expensive (although less so in Italy than the U.S. where the purveyors of Quintarelli have ensured that the wines are accessible only to the entitled among us). Wine professionals and wine collectors: If you love the wines of Quintarelli, don’t be shy to request an appointment. Francesco speaks impeccable English, btw.
Above: One of the most remarkable tastings I’ve ever experienced. You don’t spit at Quintarelli!
It’s true that Quintarelli’s wines are not for everyone. As I’ve noted, they’re expensive and they’re made in a style that doesn’t appeal to folks unfamiliar with the unique wines of the Valpolicella.
But however unattainable as they may be for many of us (they are certainly prohibitively expensive for Tracie P and me), it’s important to remember that Bepi Quintarelli is first and foremost a farmer and winemaker. Not an elitist but rather a deeply religious man who loves to laugh and loves to share his knowledge and experience. His health has deteriorated rapidly over the last few years but I can still remember the laughter on the other side of the Atlantic when I would call him from New York to interview him for whatever publication I was working/writing for at the time. He could never get over the fact that I spoke Italian with such a strong Paduan accent.
Today, the young Francesco, together with the family, is leading the winery forward. These are warm, genuine, and hospitable people.
After all, wine is nothing without the people who grow and vinify it and the people whose lives are nourished by drinking it. Thanks for reading.
* àlzero (pronunced AHL-tzeh-roh), àlzere, and àrzare in Veneto dialect are akin to the Italian argine meaning embankment. The name derives from the topography of the growing site where the wine is raised, 40% Cabernet Franc, 40% Cabernet Sauvignon, and 20% Merlot, said Francesco Grigoli, vinified using the same drying techniques as for the winery’s Amarone.
Do Bianchi 
I am Here.
Love it!
Never have the wines of Quintarelli passed my lips, but I have a ’95 Recioto waiting to change that sometime soon.
I really would like to taste one of his Valpo’s or Amarone’s. I think it’ll be one of the only Ama’s I’d love. Is there, except from Quintarelli of course, one decent producer over there?
try dal forno or zyme. both studied under quinterellie. Marion is very good as well.
Thanks for taking me along as your “Tonino Delli Colli”
Great write up Jeremy, thank you.
Great post. I haven’t been there since 2008; your write-up made me regret that.
But do you still taste from ISO glasses there, and bottles that have been open for a month? I remember when the Great Man himself would run the tasting, a new bottle would never be opened before the old finished. The reds stood it quite well, but it ruined the white FWIW.
Who imports Quintarelli into the U.S.?
oops, figured it out…
Is this “40% Cabernet Franc, 40% Cabernet Sauvignon, and 20% Merlot” 100% correct? I’ve never seen this stated like this before…how long has it been like this?
@King Krak the blend quoted by Francesco is the official party line. I believe that the Alzero is generally made using those grapes, in those proportions. But when I once asked Quintarelli directly about it (this was in 2005, in a telephone call from NYC to Negrar), he obliquely revealed that the Alzero — like his other wines and as per the tradition of Valpolicella — is a field blend.
Thanks. I remain shocked it’s not heavily Cab Franc – some years, some bottles do say Cabernet Franc, while other years say Cabernet. I think much of the winedom thinks of it as a CabFranc and so this was a bit of a surprise.
Great post, J. I’d love to go there. Tracy and I rang in the new year with Quintarelli’s 1990 Recioto Riserva. Wow.
Quintarelli is a Religion. And I am devoted…
Today evening and also next wednesday evening I will drink Valpolicella Superiore 2001 Quintarelli.
That was such an amazing visit! But then again, I say that all of the time. It’s tough bein’ your wife, 2B ;)
All the great qualities you’d want in a wine lover, and lover of life!
Thanks, everyone, for reading (and I hope enjoying) this post.
@Alfonso thanks for the vid man! That was so much fun. I wonder who wrote that most original of lines, “I am here.” Next time, I’ll say: “I’ll be back.” ;-)
@Tracie P that was one of the most amazing winery visits we’ve every done together! And we’ve done some pretty cool ones together! :-) I love you!
Were u able to buy any 2000 Amarone della Valpolicella Selezione Giuseppe Quintarelli at the winery?
I am going there in Sept 2011 and thought there might be some there still.
Please email me incase I lose this link…
Mike
Which “wine merchant”? Ouch. My solar plexus.
I visited the Quintarelli cellars two weeks ago and had the same experience, fantastic. The wines are available but some are limited to one or two bottles for each visitor and they insist that you have air conditioned environment ( cars , hotel rooms ) so that the wines are kept in good contition
what was the price for the 2000 Riserva?
Hi!
I’m Alberto of Fratelli Vogadori (www.vogadorivini.it) i’m a winery in Negrar (just near to Quintarelli winery) and everybody is wellcome to visit the place (i’m located on the top of a hill: rellay nice) and to taste my wines (Amarone – Recioto – Ripasso – Valpolicella – Raffaello). I’m a family estate, it’s the third generation that work on the wine prodocuction! Sure i’m not an industry, the number of bottles is really limitated and i love my wines!
Alberto
info@vogadorivini.it
I was unable to personally visit the winery, it was a 4 hrs drive from our villa in Montalcino. I emailed Elisabetta Tosi who wote an articale about visitting the winery, and she put me in touch with Francesco (Guiseppe’s grandson) who offered to ship a bottle of the 2000 Selezione to me when I arrived at my villa. This was before I paid for it. It arrived, and I was having issues getting the $ to them, I could not direct deposit into their bank account. Finally when I was home in Canada, I was able to make payment. And now it is sleeping in my cellar waiting for August 14, 2019, my 20th wedding anniversary.
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I loved your post. Thank you. I have been a huge fan of his wines and even had the 5 liter bottle of the valpolicella. which I dropped in the garage. sad day. anyhow, I want to visit the winery and was happy to see it is always open. But i don’t see any contact info anywhere to make a reservation. Do you have a contact info for the winery? Thx!
Glad you enjoyed the post and thanks for taking the time to read it! It’s really not my place to post contact info for the winery: just look in the phone book and you’ll find it… :)
Hi
We’re planning to visit the Veneto region in September/October of this year. This was one of the wineries that came highly recommended (and based on your blog posts, I would say rightfully so!). I’m having trouble finding a website or email for them. Do they require reservations? Amarone is my favorite wine and I’m really looking forward to trying theirs!
Thanks
DJ
Do you recommend any other must-visit wineries in the Veneto region — particularly good producers of Amarone?
we visited tommassi. and loved it.