From Valpolicella to Canada: The Enduring Appeal of Cantina di Negrar
Cantina di Negrar winery in the heart of the Valpolicella Classica region.
A Legacy Shaped by Land and Community
Cantina di Negrar is a historic, sustainable certified winery that began in 1933 and resides deep within the Valpolicella Classica region. A privately owned co-op of 240 members upholds the integrity of its’ longevity, with some members being involved through their 4th and 5th family generation. 700 hectares are planted to vine on a picturesque landscape of small hills and deep valleys. These valleys used to be seabed and therefore, maintain a 20m deep, mineral rich soil filled with fossils and crumbled shells. Thanks to the deep vine root system through this soil, a definitive minerality transpires in the glass for their dry, crisp whites and rich, full-bodied reds. Combined with intense sun exposure, and traditional winemaking techniques for their flagship bottles, the grapes lend deep flavour characteristics to the wines while executing structural balance and precision.
Crafting Wines with Purpose
Cantina di Negrar produces wine that distinctly define the region of Valpolicella Classico through thoughtful grape growing and winemaking with native grape varieties. These wine styles include Amarone, Recioto, Valpolicella Superiore and Ripasso. Their goal is to protect the region by keeping sustainability at the forefront of their winemaking philosophies by focusing on biodiversity and the agro-ecosystem. In a fine balancing act of tradition and integration, the winery realizes their members are an important part of the regional identity itself and aim to protect the longevity of both the community and vineyard practices as pillars of Cantina di Negrar.
“The strength of Cantina Valpolicella Negrar lies in its people. We are proud of the commitment our employees show every day towards the company and of their ability to contribute ideas and new solutions. It is a rare sense of belonging, and it truly makes the difference,” - Winery President Giampaolo Brunelli.
A Visual Guide to Veneto’s Most Famous Wine Styles
A Trusted Name in Canada
Since the 1960s, Cantina di Negrar has been exporting its Valpolicella wines to Canada and has steadily earned a reputation as a trusted Veneto wine producer, bringing authentic Italian winemaking traditions and expertly crafted bottles to our tables.
These three wines showcase the focus of the Cantina di Negrar portfolio. Two of them display classic house styles, with the Amarone della Valpolicella available in Canada right now, and the other is from the winery’s premium label - Domini Veneti. The later exhibits forward-thinking winemaking, where cellar decisions aren’t bound by IGT or DOCG classification rules. Each wine review reaffirms that the best Italian wine styles can be both traditional and innovative.
Cantina di Negrar Bottle Reviews
Cantina di Negrar Valpolicella Ripasso DOC Classico Superiore
Valpolicella Ripasso, a.k.a. baby Amarone, is often the best value Amarone alternative. This bottle is crafted by using Corvina, Corvinone and Rondinella from the Valpolicella Classica region that are passed over grape skins that have been dried for 90 days. The wine sees a 36-day double fermentation and maceration period to achieve a rich, full-body with prime flavour concentration that includes notes of plum, blackberry, tobacco and clove, that’s balanced by a bright and vivacious acidity. Poised, complex, with a pleasantly long finish.
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Cantina di Negrar Amarone Della Valpolicella DOCG Classico
Made up of Corvina, Corvinone and Rondinella that were all hand harvested in the very heart of Valpolicella Classica before undergoing a meticulous 120-day drying period. The wine is aged in 5000L Slovenian oak casks that subtly support bold notes of dried fig, prune, red plum and dried roses with sweet oak nuances of vanilla and baking spices. This balance of sweet and rustic flavours makes a powerful statement on a rich, bold palate that concludes with an everlasting finish.
Domini Veneti Appassimento
This wine is a result of appassimento and traditional methods that reflect a forward-thinking, premium style branded as Domini Veneti. The first sip reveals a luxuriously soft mouthfeel that displays plush tannins carrying milk chocolate, vanilla, ripe cherry and hints of all-spice flavours. A linear acidity keeps everything on track and tethered to a point of Veronese expression. Excellent freshness, precision, and length - palate art.
