A light-bodied charmer, perfect for a casual evening.

A light-bodied charmer, perfect for a casual evening.

Musella Valpolicella Superiore (DOC) 2020, 13% ABV

€21.95 O’Briens Wine

Forget that boring red juice – this Musella Valpolicella Superiore is here to shake things up!

Pour yourself a glass and check out the gorgeous ruby red colour – a touch deeper than the recent Monte Dall’ Ora Valpolicella Classico. Take a whiff, and you'll be greeted by a delightful mix of strawberries, blackcurrants, and a hint of minty freshness.

Easy on the Palate

This is a wine that goes down easy. It's smooth and juicy, with a touch of spice that keeps things interesting. Plus, there's a lovely cherry flavour that lingers on the finish. Think of it as a light-bodied charmer with smooth tannins – perfect for a casual evening. Highly Recommended.

Award-Winning? More Like Earth-Loving

This beauty comes from Musella, a top organic and biodynamic winery nestled in a 500-hectare natural park in Italy. Owned by the Pasqua family, they're all about sustainable practices. Daughter Maddalena is the vineyard boss, and she's the one who steered them towards organic farming. This dedication to good vibes for the planet paid off, because now they're Demeter-certified biodynamic – basically the gold standard for eco-conscious winemaking.

Winemaker with a Twist

Enrico Raber, the family nephew, gets creative with the fermentation process. He uses a mix of stainless steel tanks, concrete eggs (fancy, right?), and even experimental granite vats! After that, the wine chills out in large oak casks before hitting the shelves.

A Story of Resilience

The 2020 vintage wasn't all sunshine and rainbows. A nasty hailstorm ripped through the Verona area in August, putting a scare into many winemakers. But lucky for us, Musella escaped relatively unscathed. As they say, "The show must go on," and the grapes kept ripening after the storm. The end result? A "more than satisfactory" vintage, if I say so myself!

The Future is Biodynamic

Musella isn't stopping here. They believe Valpolicella wines have the potential to be even more amazing, free from market pressures and bursting with pure, delicious flavour. We can't wait to see what organic goodness they come up with next!

Price & Place

For €21.95 at O'Briens Wine, this biodynamic beauty is a steal. So ditch the ordinary and grab a bottle – your taste buds (and the planet) will thank you!

The five levels of Valpolicella

There are five levels of Valpolicella beginning at Level 1 with Valpolicella Classico.

Level 2: Here you find Level 1’s bigger and boozier brother Valpolicella Classico Superiore.

Level 3: Valpolicella Ripasso, the poorman’s Amarone.

Level 4: Amarone della Valpolicella. Here freshly picked bunches of grapes are dried out before use. This takes time and so the wines cost that bit more (often a good bit more!).

Level 5: Recioto della Valpolicella. The grapes for very sweet wine are dried for even longer periods and the sweet sweet wine ages for a very long time. Rare and expensive!

* This post is part of a series on Italian wines made from native grapes and produced by usually small or medium-sized organic wineries. Taking some “guidance” here from the recently published VINO. Mightn’t always net the hat trick but hope to score two from the three each time. I have quite a few lined up but I’m happy to consider any suggestions or help. #OrganicItaly