VALPOLICELLA DOC Latium

The table wine of the Emperor

It is an ancient native wine present in about 19/20 municipalities north of Verona. It seems to derive from the Reticum wine that was produced, in the same territory, in the Roman and pre-Roman age by the local populations: the Reti (in the south) and the Arusnati. It was a valuable wine served at the Princeps court and then the Emperor (it is mentioned by Pliny, Virgil, Martial and Suetonius). Caesar himself combined it with his frugal diet based on cheeses and vegetables, including the favorite fresh fava beans. Today it is made up of 3/4 vine varieties: Corvina / Corvinone, very ancient in the area even though they have been clearly mentioned only 600 years ago, when the Corvinone seems to be a grape similar to Corvina one, but genetically different; Rondinella, of which we have news from '800, with characteristics of resistance and good predisposition to drying (the best for Recioti wines); Molinara, ancient but with certain news from 800. It's no longer mandatory in the disciplinary of Valpolicella but permitted.  It's so rich of pruina that it seems almost covered by flour, whose name seems to derive from "Uva del Mulino".  It is savoury, from which derives the other local name "Ua Salà", salted grapes. It has a rather transparent and bright color.