Edible Skinny LOVES Amarones, LOVES THEM!!!
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| Armando Fumanelli and Maria Brown |
ICYMI an Amarone (aka Amarone della Valpolicella) is a typically
rich Italian dry red wine made from partially dried grapes of the varietal
combination of Corvina, Corvinone, and Rondinella. It’s like if velvet
was transformed through the magical of alchemy into a bottle of wine! And
last week we were lucky enough to try out some fun ones from the family estate
of Marchesi Fumanelli at a classic Italian lunch at Mr. Cs in Beverly Hills.
Our event was hosted by Mister Armando Fumanelli, head of
Marchesi Fumanelli family and the wines they produce. As of 1998 Armando
has served as proprietor and CEO of this wine with a goal of combining
traditional and modern techniques to produce authentic expression of their
family estate’s distinctive terrior. Before working in the family
business, Armando served in the Italian Embassy for several East African and
Middle Eastern countries. Armando definitely gives the Most Interesting
Man in the World a run for his money as when he’s not working on the grounds or
being an ambassador for Fumanelli he’s racing his twenty plus vintage cars in
exotic destinations (gotta Love Italian men flying around racing 1967 Mercedes
for 3 days in the South African desert…).
But back to the wine! So the continental Squarano estate
is located in the heart of Valpolicella Classico area in Verona (yes that
Verona, home of a certain pair of infamous star crossed lovers…) on a gentle
hilltop surrounded by vineyards, cypress, and cherry trees (apparently they
have a fabulous cherry festival every year on the estate where all the female
guests must dress in red!).
Wine is nothing new to Armando as the Marchesi Fumanelli family
have been fostering grapes and producing wines since 1470. Located
on 78 acre Squarano estate are vestiges of a temple dedicated to the Goddess
Flora, built by the Romans who planted the first vines over a thousand years
ago.
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| Mr. Cs' Gnocchi |
Of the wines sampled at that multi multi course meal (gotta Love
Italians and there Love of 3 hours lunches…) one of our favorite delights was
their white Terson Bianco Venteo 2009 MSRP $40). Their only white wine is
a 50/50 blend of Garganega and Trebbiano Toscano. The wine’s high
minerality is due to their fifty-year-old vines growing over limestone
rocks. Once hand harvested the grapes are then placed into plateau where
they are left to rest for 15-20 days. The result is tangy acidity
with flavors of green apple, almond, and fennel that’s great balance to lobster
and scallops!
Our other favorite was their flagship, the Octavius Amarone
della Valpolicella DOC Classico Riserva (MSRP $150). Composed of the
classic Amarone balance of Corvina Veronese 40%, Corvinone 40%, Rondinella
20%. The vines are forty years on average and are hand selected and then
placed into the traditional wooden plateaux and left to rest for 120 days with
drying and concentration of all the elements.
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| Grilled Veggies at Mr. Cs |
This is a wine traditionally enjoyed with boar meat (and this
was actually suggested in at the lunch… Gotta Love Italians and their love of
game meat…), hard cheeses, and dark chocolate. Full of spice, cherry, and
cranberries with a dark ruby red coloring and a viscosity that screams a
vampire should sip it.
So if you’re looking a classical Mediterranean bottle that
whispers to you of that dream of velvet being transformed into wine, Armando Fumanelli
would say “stay thirsty my friends and Salute”!
This
year the guests were nearly 200 coming from over 16 different countries
(including the fabulous Allison Levine of Please the Palate all the way from
SoCal!) to celebrate the tradition of this half a millennial old winery. 
