Northern Italy spotlight: Valtellina
This summer, I took a bus from Milan to Tirano, where I planned to take the Bernina Express up to St. Moritz in Switzerland. (Protip: if you’re in the area, do it! The incredible views from the panoramic cars are well worth it.) Between Milan and Tirano, I looked out the window and saw a steep, rocky, terraced hill with vines snaking their way across it—and, in some, cases, down it.
Where was I? I Googled briefly and found that I was in the wine region that produced the bottle we’d had last night at dinner: Valtellina. (For the record, the wine was Rainoldi’s beautifully balanced Sassella, a bargain at around $30 in the United States.)
This is the first in a series of posts about northern Italian wines, where I’ll be highlighting underappreciated Italian wine regions.
Where is it?
Valtellina is nestled in the Italian alps near the Swiss border. From Milan, it’s about a two-hour drive. It’s divided into five subregions: Maroggia, Sassella, Grumello, Inferno, and Valgella. In addition to vineyards, the region also boasts steep, winding cycling paths that are seasonally closed to car traffic and seasonal festivals celebrating the movement of cattle down from the mountains.
What’s grown there?
The wines of Valtellina are primarily made from Nebbiolo, a high-acid, thick-skinned grape that produces lightly colored, yet intense and tannic red wines. These grapes are grown on steep terraces designed to expose the grapes to maximum sunlight. Some international grapes are grown, such as Sauvignon Blanc and Chardonnay, but these wines only make up a small percentage of total production. Occasionally, Nebbiolo is pressed off its skins and made into a white wine, known as vinificato in bianco.
Like many European wine regions, Valtellina’s wines are regulated using a DOC/DOCG system. This system regulates not only the boundaries of Valtellina and its subregions, but also which producers can use labels like Valtellina Superiore DOCG (a selection of particularly good vineyards) or Sforzato di Valtellina DOCG (an intense, highly concentrated wine made from dried grapes). The DOCG regulations also regulate many aspects of wine production, such as oak aging and yield per hectare.
What does Valtellina wine taste like?
Nebbiolo wines from Valtellina are a light brick red and feature strong, smooth tannins, tart red berry and cherry flavors, and earth, herb, spice, and mineral notes. They’re best paired with dishes that can match them in intensity and complexity. Pasta dishes can work if they’re richly flavored, like Valtellina’s famous pizzocheri—a hearty buckwheat pasta dish made with local Valtellina Casera cheese, cabbage, potatoes, and butter.
Next in this series: Gavi, an underdog in Piedmont whose dry, refreshing white wines are perfect for late summer.
