Do not open before the end of '97! The best Valtellina wine produced in decades will be ready to drink at the end of this year after having been aged in the cellars for at least 24 months. It's a wine bottled in 1995, the yield of an exceptionally good Vendemmia, which serves as an ideal accompaniment for pizzoccheri (tipical recipe of Valtellina pasta), ragout, well-seasoned cheeses, and other typical Lombardian delights.

Even a brief tour of the valley suffices to illustrate just what hard work it is to cultivate wine grapes in Valtellina. The mountainous and crumbly terrain of the region, along with their terraces carved out of the rock, make it necessary for virtually all phases of the vine cultivation to be executed by hand. This arduous process is the reason why this valley's wines are curiously referred to as mountain wines.

The Chiavennasca Grape

The most diffuse grape is the Chiavennasca, source of the well-known and aristocratic Nebbiolo, characterized by its comparatively long clusters. In Valtellina, the grape vines seem to have found ideal conditions: the sloping soil guarantees just the right degree of insulation and ventilation. In 1968, this wine the region was officially acknowledged as a wine producing area, and was awarded two DOC classifications, Valtellina and Valtellina Superiore. This latter category comprises the more well-known wines: Sassella, Grumello, Valgella, l'Inferno and Sforzato, all wines which benefit particularly well from the aging process. Of these, the Sforzato in the one with the most singular character, largely due to treatment afforded the grapes before vinification. After they're picked, the grapes are put out to dry in shallow wooden crates, thus increasing their sugar content; the result is a wine of complex structure, with a hint of balsam in its bouquet.

Mountain wine production
The tradition of wine production in the mountains, combined with the gusto of several producers for experimentation, has of late produced some notable wines. Three cellars were sampled for this report whose details are listed below. Telephone numbers have been included, as appointments are recommended.