Brigaldara Amarone Della Valpolicella Wine Tasting with Special Guest Owner Antonio Cesari Wednesday, March 18, 2026 7:30 PM
“The only way of
rendering life endurable is to drink as much wine as one can come by.”
- James Branch Cabell, Beyond Life
I love Italian wines.
It’s hard to believe that when I bought the store 28 years ago we only
had 4 different Italian labels on the shelf.
Today, we have one of the greatest collections of Barolos, Barbarescos,
Super Tuscans, Chianti, and of course Amarone available not only in South Florida
but anywhere in the world!
Amarone is from the Valpolicella region of Italy and is one
of the most unique wines in terms of the way the wine is produced. They air dry the grapes for up to three
months until they become almost like raisins before they crush them and ferment
the juice. This magical elixir is made
from a blend of indigenous varietals that most wine lovers have never heard of
and these grapes are only found in the Veneto region. The noble Corvina is the most important with
Corvinone, Rondinella making up the three major and Mollinara being a minor
contributor.
Join us on Wednesday, March 18th as we taste
through a selection of wines from one of the stars of this region with the
owner of Brigaldara winery Antonio Cesare.
The fee for this tasting which includes dinner and gratuity is $250 +
tax, for reservations call 954-523-9463 or email andy@winewatch.com.
Brigaldara Amarone Della Valpolicella
Wine Tasting
with Special Guest Owner Antonio
Cesari
Wednesday, March 18, 2026
7:30 PM
2023 Brigaldara Soave
Classico
2024 Brigaldara
Valpolicella Classico
2019 Brigaldara
Valpolicella Superior
2022 Brigaldara
Valpolicella Superior
2022 Brigaldara
Valpolicella Ripasso
2019 Brigaldara
Amarone della Valpolicella Classico
2019 Brigaldara
Amarone della Valpolicella Cavolo
2018 Brigaldara
Amarone della Valpolicella Cavolo
2011 Brigaldara
Amarone della Valpolicella Riserva San Floriano
2019 Brigaldara
Recioto della Valpolicella Classico DOCG, Veneto
Menu
Selection of Blue
Cheese
Cobb Salad with
buttermilk Gorgonzola Dressing
Amarone Pasta with Crispy
Prosciutto
Blue Fin Tuna Served
Over Black Bean Puree and Red Pepper Salsa
Dark Chocolate Mousse
with Black Cherry Coulis
The fee for this
tasting which includes dinner and gratuity is $250 + tax, for reservations call
954-523-9463 or e-mail andy@winewatch.com. Please let us know when you make your
reservations if you have any food allergies or aversions and chefs Toni and
Dani will be happy to accommodate you.
A bit about Valpolicella and Brigaldara:
Valpolicella, according to some accounts, means “valley of
many cellars,” which seems fitting. It
is derived, they say, from the Greek word poli (many) and the Latin cella
(cellar). This area is approximately 27
miles long and 5 miles wide, it passes north and west of Verona, extending from
the Adige River to the Cazzano Valley.
Bardolino and Lake Garda lie to the west and Soave to the east. The land ranges in altitude from 490 to 1,475
feet above sea level. The vines in the
classico district to the northwest of Verona, are planted on the hillsides and
mountain slopes of the valleys of the Adige tributaries and the Fumane, Marano,
and Negrar torrents. Some of the
vineyards are terraced with stone. The
cretaceous, calcareous soil is of glacial origins. And volcanic activity in this area
contributed elements to the soil as well.
The area around Sant’Ambrogio is considered the heart of the
Amarone production zone. Within this
area, northeast of Gargagnago, is a valley called Vaio Armaron, which may have
given the wine its name. The blend of
grapes typically used in Valpolicella is Corvina (40%-70%), Rondinella
(20%-40%), Molinara (5%-25%) and may contain up to 15% Negrara Trentina,
Rossignola, Dindarella, Barbera, and/or Sangiovese. Before 1989 producers were allowed to add as
much as 15% of grapes, must, or wine from outside the zone to correct problems
from a weak vintage, but this practice is prohibited today. Corvina contributes color, body, bouquet,
flavor, and the basic Valpolicella character to the wine. Rondinella, which is resistant to disease
and rot, is added for its color and strength, tannin and vigor, it also adds
some refinement to the aromas. Molinara,
or Mulinara, is also known as Rossara Veronese and Rossanella, is blended in to
make the wine lighter and more drinkable.
It also contributes dryness and acidity, as well as that characteristic
bitterness. Negrara, adds softness,
freshness and early drinkability.
The first dry Amarone, according to writer Cesare Marchi,
was the result of a fortunate accident.
In the early 1950s, Adelino Lucchese, Bertani’s cellar master,
discovered a barrel of wine in the cellar that had been overlooked and
neglected for some time. Certain that it
had spoiled he was about to discard its contents, when curiosity prompted him
to take a taste just to see what had happened.
He was astonished to discover that the forgotten wine had a velvety
texture and a penetrating perfume, a slightly bitter taste, but not at all
unpleasant.
There is however evidence that the Romans made a type of
bitter Recioto for diabetics or other people who couldn’t take sugar. Sandro Boscaini of Masi pointed out that some
of the oldest families in Valpolicella, the Count Campostrini and Count Serego
Alighieri, as well as his own produced an Amaro, a dry Recioto. This would seem to indicate that Amarone is
considerably older that Marchi admits.
According to another book called Valpolicella Spolendida Contea Dei
Vino, written by Lamberto Paronetto, the name Amarone has been in use since the
eighteenth century. It became popular at
the beginning of this century and the name could very well be derived from the
Italian word amaro, meaning “bitter” (scholar Scipione Maffei, writing in the
first half of the eighteenth century, refers to an amaro, a dry wine from the
Valpolicella area), or it could come from Vajo Armaron, where some highly
regarded Amarones have been produced for ages."... Not the splendor of the
landscape, not the events of the history, not the monuments of the art, not the
songs of the poets, has served to render note of Valpolicella’s greatest asset:
the wine ", wrote Giuseppe Silvestri, journalist and historian.
The importance of winemaking in this region is underscored
by the creation in 1885 of the very first Italian school for vine growing and
oenology. In addition, Veneto was the first region to constitute the first
strada del vino or "wine road". This first wine-touring road featured
special road signs providing information on vines and the wines they were made
into and joined the Valdobbiadene and Conegliano DOC zones crossing a series of
hilly vineyards.
The Brigaldara estate is set apart in the county of Saint
Floriano, facing the Marano hills. There is a tree lined avenue when you
approach the neoclassic villa at the Brigaldara estate that crosses the lower
part of the 15 hectares of vineyards. Beside the villa, in their great park,
smaller houses are found with characteristic covered Italian porches, and where
wine cellars have been recently restructured and are currently being widened.
From 1928 the Cesari family has owned this land. Stefano Cesari has molded this estate into
one of the best in the commune of San Pietro in Cariano, in the Valpolicella
Classico zone, having started it as a hobby in 1978. He makes his wines in a modern fashion, with
plenty of fruit and a clean, fresh style.
His Amarone is his top wine. And now they produce three cuvée’s, adding
the Single Vineyard Casa Vecie and most recently the KILLER Riserva
Amarone. The line-up at Brigaldara also
includes an excellent Recioto della Valpoicella and a ripasso Valpolicella
Classico. Stefano has been an innovative
producer in Valpolicella. In 1990,
Brigaldara replaced many of the 50 hectoliter Slovanian casks to ferment and
age his wine with more modern small oak barriques. Brigaldara was one of the first wineries in
this part of Italy to do this!
All the wines in the store from Brigaldara Winery on
SALE!!
2023 Brigaldara Soave Classico
Price: $18.00 Your
Price: $15.84 Quantity
in Stock: 5
2018 Brigaldara Soave Classico
Price: $19.00 Your
Price: $16.72 Quantity
in Stock: 9
Tasting notes: Fresh
and fruity wine with notes of chamomile, peach and citrus, in which acidity
plays an important role. Clean, medium-long finish.
2023 Brigaldara Valpolicella Classico
Price: $19.00 Your
Price: $16.72 Quantity
in Stock: 10
Corvina 55%, Corvinone 25%, Rondinella 20% Bright ruby.
Vibrant aromas of redcurrant, blackberry and fresh violet on the knockout nose.
Quite juicy on the palate, with floral red berry flavours given laser-like
precision by lovely harmonious acidity. Very well-balanced wine, clean and
clear.
2022 Brigaldara Valpolicella Classico
Price: $18.00 Your
Price: $15.84 Quantity
in Stock: 3
Wine description: Brigaldara‘s Valpolicella is a
delightfully elegant, affordable light red. Bright and fresh with red cherry
fruit and hints of herbs, this wine can easily pair well with a wide variety of
foods and especially lighter fare like roast or grilled chicken, salmon, turkey
burgers, lighter pasta dishes and grilled vegetables. The wine is fun and easy
and will go down surprisingly fast so grab a couple bottles.
2022 Brigaldara Valpolicella Ripasso Superiore
Price: $35.00 Your
Price: $30.80 Quantity
in Stock: 10
Winery Notes Bright ruby. Aromas of red plum, marzipan and
exotic flowers, along with a saline nuance. Juicy and tightly coiled on the
palate, with strong acidity that preserves the red fruit and spice flavours. It
finishes with good purity of fruit and length.
2020 Brigaldara Case Vecie Valpolicella
Price: $34.89 Your
Price: $30.70
Valpolicella Superiore Case Vecie derives from the
vinification of fresh grapes, mainly Corvina and Corvinone. It borrows its name
from the homonymous vineyard located in Grezzana - Valpantena, where the
ripening of the grapes is subject to significant temperature variations between
day and night: a climatic characteristic that gives the wine a particular
spiciness on the nose and a completely unique polyphenolic profile. On the
palate, acidity denotes an important structure, thanks to the rigorous selection
of the grapes and to the winemaking techniques employed to extract only the
noblest components from the skin. A wine which is capable of combining body,
structure and excellent drinkability, revealing its sensorial complexity due to
the slow ripening of the grapes.
Brilliant ruby with hints of cherry, balsamic notes of
vanilla and spices. Soft taste and good structure. It is a full-bodied wine
with a balanced alcoholic content.
2019 Brigaldara Case Vecie Valpolicella Superiore
Price: $34.89 Your
Price: $30.70 Quantity
in Stock: 7
(92 points) The 2019 Valpolicella Superiore Case Vecie is a
deep red color with a purple hue. It wafts up spicy with an attractive sour
citrus tangerine note that gives way to bright cherries and dusty rose. It’s
silky-smooth and decidedly savory, with saline-minerals up front giving way to
tart red berries and hints of sour citrus. This is incredibly perfumed and
long, yet it also maintains amazing freshness. The Case Vecie is a beautiful
wine, reminding me of cru Beaujolais.
Eric Guido, Vinous (Apr 2022)
2010 Brigaldara Amarone della Valpollicella Classico DOCG
Veneto 3 Liter
Price: $576.00 Your
Price: $506.88
(93 Points) The 2010 Amarone della Valpolicella Classico is
a thick and delicious interpretation that delivers loads of personality and
determination. The bouquet is redolent of dried fruit, prune, cassis, spice,
leather, licorice and Teriyaki sauce. The intensity is absolutely irresistible
with power and muscle delivered in a silken glove. Round tannins and plush
fruit richness gives the wine loads of energy to fuel its long finish
(ML). Wine Advocate, Review Date:
02/2015
2001 Brigaldara Amarone della Valpolicella Classico DOCG
Veneto, Italy (6 Liter)
Price: $925.00 Your
Price: $814.00
"A clean-cut Amarone, with a balanced mix of raisin and
spicy oak. Medium- to full-bodied, with fine tannins and a clean, spicy
finish." (Web only, 2006) -Wine Spectator
2019 Brigaldara Amarone della Valpolicella Cavolo
Price: $75.00 Your
Price: $66.00 Quantity
in Stock: 22
(96 Points) The 2019 Amarone della Valpolicella Cavolo impresses with its remarkably pretty bouquet
of dusty roses,shavings of cear and cocoa-dusted black cherries. This is
soothingly round yet energetic, with fresh acidity and bright wild berry fruits
that swirl as hints of espresso bean dark chocolate add bitter bite. Long and
staining, the 2019 lingers on as a web of fine tannins forms a classically dry
sensation, offset by a tinge of sour orange. Always more approachable in its
youth , the Cavolo is an overachiever today but amply balanced for the
cellar. Vinous EG
2018 Brigaldara Cavolo Amarone Della Valpolicella
Price: $66.00 Your
Price: $58.08
Amarone Cavolo derives from a careful selection of the
grapes in the vineyard and a strict management of the drying process. The
selected bunches are the sparsest and best exposed ones. Once harvested, they
are left to dry for ca. 120 days, at the end of which vinification takes place.
Here, all the noble components held in the skins are transferred to the wine.
Amarone Cavolo is a wine that follows the traditional production method, aging
in large barrels for at least 4 years.
Garnet red with fruit jam, sour cherry, cherry and vanilla
aromas, with hints of dried grapes and spicy notes. It is a wine of great
structure. Complex, elegant and velvety.
2016 Brigaldara Case Vecie Amarone Della Valpolicella
Price: $140.00 Your
Price: $123.20
(96 points) The 2016 Amarone della Valpolicella Classico
Case Vecie seduces with a beguiling and lifted mix of crushed stone, dusty rose
and bright cherry. This is dark and velvety, moody in feel yet seductive and
pliant, simply harmonious, mixing salty minerals and ripe rich red fruits and
spices, hints of mocha and inner violet florals. There’s simply so much going
on here. The 2016 tapers off incredibly long and structured. It’s still easy to
like today with floral rose and violet tones, along with a bitter twang of
balsamic spice. A simply stunning Case Vecie. -Vinous.
2012 Brigaldara Amarone dell Valpolicella Case Vecie
Magnum
Price: $340.00 Your
Price: $299.20
Amarone Case Vecie borrows its name from the homonymous
vineyard located in Grezzana - Valpantena. An extraordinary plot of land
planted with vines where altitude and exposition enable the grapes to undergo a
slow and constant ripening, even during the hardest years. The late harvesting
period enables us to put the grapes to dry in a colder period of the year,
undergoing a slower and longer drying process. Amarone Case Vecie is a wine
that is designed to enhance the natural characteristics of a high altitude
climate: a true Amarone "Vigne Alte" - a high-hill Amarone.
2012 Brigaldara Amarone della Valpolicella Riserva San
Floriano
Price: $260.00 Your
Price: $228.80
2011 Brigaldara Amarone della Valpolicella Riserva San
Floriano
Price: $265.00 Your
Price: $233.20 Quantity
in Stock: 8
2007 Brigaldara Amarone della Valpolicella Riserva San
Floriano Magnum
Price: $580.00 Your
Price: $510.40
Amarone Riserva is a wine that interprets the Valpolicella
region respecting timings and techniques. The grapes are selected from the best
vineyards of the winery to synthesize and express the maximum potential of our
land. The drying of the grapes is characterized by the seasonal post-harvest
trend. A very elegant wine that expresses a neat balance between fruit and
pulp, characterized by deep and complex tertiary notes.
Deep ruby. Intense aromas of dark cherry and plum are
complicated by cocoa and coffee. Enters rich and fruity, then more floral,
finishing long with a refined but very dense, tactile mouthfeel. It is a wine
of great structure. Complex, elegant and velvety.
2019 Brigaldara Recioto della Valpolicella Classico DOCG,
Veneto
Price: $76.00 Your
Price: $66.88 Quantity
in Stock: 12
Corvina 55%, Corvinone 25%, Rondinella 20% Intense red ruby
loaded with mocha, black cherries, plums, espresso and spices. The intense
fruit is nicely balanced by an underlying energy and focus. Sweet perfumed
notes wrap around the long, satisfying finish