SUNDAY, MAY 30, 2010
KLMNO
Under the Valpolicellan sun
Strasbourg
GERMANY Zurich SWITZ.
Lake Garda
Milan
Po
GenoaITALY
Ligurian Sea
Verona
Valpolicella
Venice
SLVN. CROAT.
eonaco Florence
SAN MARINO
CORSICA
(FRANCE)
SARDINIA
(ITALY)
Tyrrhenian Sea
Sassari
Rome
N
LARIS KARKLIS/THE WASHINGTON POST
PHOTOS BY VALENTINA PASQUALI
Clockwise from top: The view from San Giorgio Ingannapoltron, a hilltop village at the western edge of Valpolicella; wine bottles are lined up for a tasting at Lucia Duran Raimondi’s Villa Monteleone, outside the town of Gargagnago; Raimondi leads a group of Swedish tourists through her vineyard; the Byblos Art Hotel near Verona combines futuristic design and contemporary art in a classical 16th-century estate.
italy continued from F1
region perfect for winemaking: the Lessini Mountains to the north, which protect it from the Alpine winds, and Lake Garda to the west. “They combine to cre- ate a warm, temperate climate similar to that of Tuscany,” Bosel- li says. Tuscany is world famous for its scenic countryside and its wines; the town of Montalcino, home to Brunello di Montalcino wine, is Italy’s wine tourism cap- ital, with approximately 2 million visitors flocking there every year. Like the region around Mon- talcino, Valpolicella is dotted with wine producers, just sans the crowds, so far. But wine- making isn’t new to the region, whose name is said to come from the Latin val polis cellae, or val- ley of many cellars. As far back as Roman times, this area was known across Italy for its sweet alcoholic nectar, an ancestor to Recioto.
Amarone, Valpolicella’s most acclaimed wine, was born more recently. “In the 1930s, a local wine pro- ducer forgot to interrupt the fer- mentation of the grapes at the moment that’s needed for Recio- to,” explains Raimondi. “When the wine was ready, he realized it wasn’t sweet at all.” And so the name Amarone — from “amaro,” Italian for “sour” — came to be. For the visitor wanting a raw taste of Valpolicella, small, fami- ly-run businesses such as Rai- mondi’s are the best bet. The
owners will guide you through a tour of the vineyards and the cel- lar to the wine tasting room, talk- ing about their bottles in the same loving way you might talk about your child.
Charm and glamour
“This land is not only my home, it is also my soul.” Enrico Cascella Spinosa is muddy at the end of a long day of grape pick- ing. We’re sitting on the pan- oramic terrace he has built in the middle of his villa’s Italian- style lawn, overlooking the ex- panse of vineyards below. Spino- sa is the sole heir to a wine- making dynasty that has owned this property since the early 1800s. The three-story mansion sits behind the terrace, at the center of a private courtyard. Recently, Spinosa opened his
property to visitors looking for a place to stop for the night. He rents out a two-story cottage that houses up to six people. Upon re- quest, he can have groceries de- livered to the guests. As we left the terrace at sunset, a young couple from Finland occupying the cottage came to take our place. They were carrying plastic plates loaded with prosciutto, sa- lami and local cheeses; two wine- glasses; and a bottle of Valpo- licella.
Villa Spinosa’s guesthouse, alongside the bed-and-breakfast that Lucia Duran Raimondi opened in 2007 at Villa Mon- teleone, is one of a growing num- ber of charming midrange lodg-
ing options in the region. But you can find serious luxury in Valpo- licella, too. On a sunny Friday morning, an English couple is having break- fast on the front porch of the Vil- la Giona, overlooking a carefully designed park dotted with stat- ues from the late 1800s. Villa Gio- na, near the village of Corrubbio, is a two-story, U-shaped 16th- century villa built of tufo, or tuff in English, a volcanic rock. Corrubbio is at the southern
edge of Valpolicella, which is fa- mous for its centuries-old es- tates. Unfortunately, it was here, starting in the 1950s, that the most indiscriminate industrial- ization took place, giving birth to rows of nondescript buildings. But properties such as Villa Gio- na, surrounded by acres of vine- yards, make you forget about all that. You can stay in one of the villa’s 18 rooms, which sport high ceilings with exposed wood beams, finely upholstered an- tique furniture and antique rugs. Paolo Saletti, a small, well- dressed man, owns and manages the Villa Giona hotel. “In a way, we’ve tried to reenact the tradi- tional concept of a ‘villa veneta,’ ” he explains, referring to the Ve- neto, the administrative region in which Valpolicella is located. Ever since the local aristocracy began building mansions in the 1500s, he tells me, their estates have served a dual purpose as the family’s vacation home and as the base for the owner’s summer wine business. Now tourists can
spend a day or more here, imag- ining themselves as lords of the manor and the vineyard. Byblos Art Hotel is home to
even more glamorous luxury. The brainchild of Dino Facchini, head of the Italian fashion label Byblos, this project mixes tour- ism and contemporary art. Fac- chini purchased the 16th-century estate in 2000 and asked Mila- nese interior-design superstar Alessandro Mendini to renovate it, emphasizing the property’s classical details. Then Mendini plugged in his own futuristic de- sign furniture, plus Facchini’s private collection of contempo- rary art, including pieces by such American artists as Jim Dine, Cindy Sherman and Peter Halley. A Catholic chapel on the grounds can be reserved for wed- dings. The wine cellar, dating from the 1400s, displays more than 300 labels of Italian and international wines. And since food is a necessary complement to wine, Byblos houses a gourmet restaurant called Atelier, serving traditional Italian cuisine from Valpolicella in an English base- ment decorated as eclectically as the rest of the hotel.
Food worth looking for
This being Italy, you can of course find delectable food around every corner. Dalla Rosa Alda is a family-run restaurant in San Giorgio Ingannapoltron, a picturesque village that’s a steep climb up a hill at the western edge of Valpolicella. Its name,
not surprisingly, means St. George Trick-the-Lazy. The pieve, or church, dates to the year 712 and is considered the region’s ar- chitectural pearl. It stands in the village center, offering breathtak- ing views of Lake Garda in one direction and Valpolicella in the other. The Dalla Rosas have been pre- paring food for visitors since 1853. From a short, attractive menu, I pick a brasato di manzo con salsa all’Amarone e polenta: roast beef in Amarone wine sauce served with polenta. The restaurant serves strictly seasonal — and local — cuisine. It’s a member of Tavole della Val- policella, an organization of area restaurants that stand for excel- lent food that draws on local culi- nary traditions. “We only use spices from the area, since my wife, Severina, has revamped the cultivation of local herbs,” owner Lodovico Testi tells me. But the quality of restaurants across Valpolicella is good over- all, and it’s worth exploring places, even at random, beyond the Tavole della Valpolicella brand. One night I had dinner at Trattoria Sottocastel, a small, un- pretentious restaurant in the town of Arbizzano. Alberto Ben- ico, the owner, serves a seasonal cuisine rooted in local traditions, although the menu has a south- ern Italian twist. The lasagnette al musso, a linguine dish served with donkey meat sauce — a Val- policella specialty — was deli- cious. And by Italian standards, at less than $12, quite reasonable. After leaving Trattoria Sotto- castel, I drove by Villa Novare, another elaborate mansion, dat- ing to the 1700s. It was elegantly illuminated for the night, a truly majestic sight, encapsulating all the beauty of Valpolicella. And that beauty is all around.
To the west, where the valley of Fumane turns into a narrow gorge, the Cascate di Molina Na- tional Park, famous for its water- falls, makes for enchanting hikes. The valley of Negrar, to the east, is known for the Ponte di Veja, re- portedly the longest natural bridge in Europe. In addition to the pieve in San Giorgio Ingan- napoltron, there are many other medieval churches across the area, such as one in the small vil- lage of San Floriano that dates to at least the 1200s. The central valley of Marano, where the land- scape is pleasant and real estate development is under control, is probably the best bet for a relax- ing drive along Valpolicella’s nar- row, winding roads. And when you get tired of it all,
there’ll always be a small local winemaker eager to have you taste the fruit of his vine.
travel@washpost.com
Pasquali is a freelance Italian journalist living in Washington.
San M
Adriatic Sea
Munich
0 MILES
AUSTRIA
50
DETAILS
GETTING THERE
Multiple airlines offer comparable connecting flights to Verona from all three Washington-area airports. Fares from Reagan National on KLM Royal Dutch Airways start at $1,278 round trip.
WHERE TO STAY
Villa Monteleone
Via Monteleone 12, Gargagnago 011-39-045-770-4974
www.villamonteleone.com
Three antiques-furnished double bedrooms, two upstairs with hallway bath ($98) and one downstairs with private bath ($104). Breakfast included.
Wine tasting
$21 to $31 per person, depending on the size of the group and the kind of wine opened. Wine prices: Valpolicella Classico Santa Lena, $8.50 a bottle. Valpolicella Superiore San Vito, $16 a bottle.
Amarone, $40 a bottle. Recioto. $27 a bottle.
Villa Spinosa
Via Colle Masua 12, Negrar 011-39-045-750-0093
www.villaspinosa.it/en
Four-room cottage can sleep up to six people. Rates are $92 to $104 a night double occupancy, depending on the size of the room. A group of six can rent the entire cottage for about $299 per night. There is a fee of about $37 for less than a three-night stay. Fully equipped kitchen with microwave. Grocery-shopping service is $6 to $12 plus cost of the items purchased.
Wine tasting
Generally requires a minimum of 10 people, with a maximum of 25 to 30, but the owner is flexible. “We never say no to anyone,” he says. Cost is about $12 to $25 per person, depending on the number and kinds of wines tasted. A tour of the estate, not including wine tasting, is approximately $37 to $61 per group.
Villa Giona
Via Cengia 8, San Pietro in Cariano
011-39-045-772-5068
www.villagiona.it
Open March-November; closed December-February. Eighteen rooms and suites. Singles about $170. Doubles from $208. Breakfast included.
Byblos Art Hotel
Via Cedrare 78, Corrubbio di Negarine
011-39-045-685-5555
www.byblosarthotel.com
Doubles from about $400 in high season; $327 in off-season. Prices include breakfast, sauna, Turkish bath, fitness center and private bus to and from Verona city center.
WHERE TO EAT
Trattoria Dalla Rosa Alda
San Giorgio di Valpolicella 011-39-045-680-0411
www.dallarosalda.it
Traditional regional food. Entrees start at around $10 (risotto all’Amarone is $15).
Trattoria Sottocastel
Via Sparavieri 18, Arbizzano 011-39-045-602-0855 Reservations recommended. Traditional regional food with influences from the southern Calabria region. Entrees start at about $10.
INFORMATION
www.valpolicella.it/eng/index.asp www.stradadelvalpolicella.com/ eng/
index.htm
—V.P.
F3
WHAT’S THE DEAL?
This week’s best travel bargains around the globe.
LAND
Sunrise Villa, an eight-bed- room beachfront property in the Dominican Republic, is offering
half-price discounts this sum-
mer. Price is now $7,280 per week through Labor Day. The five- building complex on two acres in a gated community on the island’s northern coast accommodates 16 adults; family groups of as many as 26, including children, can also be accommodated. A full meal plan is also available at $55 per adult per day. Info: 866-998-4552,
www.sunrise-villa.com.
Eventi, a new Kimpton hotel in
Manhattan’s Chelsea, has intro- ductory rates through Sept. 6. Best available rate is discounted 15 percent. For example, a Friday night stay in mid-June now starts at $297 a night (plus $47 taxes), a $52 savings. Info: 866-996-8396,
www.eventihotel.com. Request code GRAND.
SEA
Blount Small Ship Adventures, formerly American Canadian Car- ibbean Line, is offering $250 per
person discounts on its Skylines & Islands: From New York to To- ronto cruise, with departures on Aug. 14 and Aug. 25. The nine- night voyage now starts at $2,540 per person double plus $150 port charges. The 96-passenger Grande Mariner travels on the Hudson River, Erie Canal, Oswego Canal and Lake Ontario. Book by June 15. Info: 800-556-7450, www.blount-
smallshipadventures.com.
AIR
United is offering sale fares from Los Angeles to Sydney. Round-trip fare starts at $670, in- cluding taxes; add-on from Wash- ington is about $350 extra. Depart by Aug. 31. A maximum stay of 12 months is permitted. Some dates are sold out. No advance purchase is required. Buy by June 3 at
www.united.com, or pay $25 more by calling 800-864-8331.
SAS has sale fares on economy- plus seats from Washington Dulles
to five destinations in Scandina-
via. Fare to Copenhagen, for exam- ple, is $1,700 round trip, including $82 taxes; usual economy-plus fare is $2,519. Economy-plus seating is an inch wider than coach, and leg- room is increased by six inches; it also offers on-demand audio and
video, laptop plug-in, all alcoholic beverages and extra baggage al- lowances. Buy by May 31 at
www.flysas.com/us and depart June 29-Sept. 5.
PACKAGE
Friendly Planet Travel is of-
fering $400 per person discounts on its Exotic Ecuador tour. The seven-night trip, now priced at $1,319 per person double, plus $85 taxes, includes round-trip airfare from Miami to Quito; accommoda- tions in five properties; 19 meals; sightseeing tours and entrance fees; guides; ground transporta- tion; and transfers. Highlights in- clude visits to the Otavalo market, Cotopaxi National Park and the Amazon. Available departure dates include Sept. 21, Oct. 20, Nov. 15 and Dec. 6. Deadline to book is June 30. Info: 800-555-5765, www.
friendlyplanet.com.
— Carol Sottili
Submit travel deals to
whatsthedeal@washpost.com. Please
include your phone number and e-mail address. Prices were verified Thursday afternoon when the Travel section went to press, but deals sell out and availability is not guaranteed. Restrictions such as blackout dates and advance purchase may apply.
When it comes to fun, affordable getaways, look no further than theNorfolk waterfront.Norfolk offers hotels, dining, entertainment and attractions for every budget.
visitnorfolktoday.com | 1-800-368-3097
If you are looking for your next getaway, visit us online for more details or to book your reservation.
SAIL INTO SAVINGS.
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