Ar.Pe.Pe. Valtellina Superiore Il Pettirosso

The Ar.Pe.Pe vineyards, in northern Italy (in Lombardy) are often full of robins. It is not uncommon to find these little birds flying among the vines that this winery owns in the heart of Valtellina. This is their territory. But things changed. One day, while Isabella Pelizzatti (the company’s winemaker) was working in the winery, one of these birds slipped into the winery. Innocently, apparently, the little animal landed on an old wooden barrel. Nevertheless, it seemed like it was bringing a warning. A few days later, while examining that same barrel, Isabella discovered a small leak between the staves. And the wine had to be bottled quickly after only twelve months of aging. This is how Ar.Pe.Pe. Valtellina Superiore Il Pettirosso was born.

Ar.Pe.Pe. Valtellina Superiore Il Pettirosso owes its existence to a little bird. Despite not being aged for as long as originally planned, Ar.Pe.Pe. Valtellina Superiore Il Pettirosso is a very tasty red wine. Perhaps one of the best wines in Italy. It is important to remember that these reds, made from the Nebbiolo grape, are what uphold the reputation of this area of northern Italy, parallel to the Alps. This mountain range is one of the main factors that determine the terroir of the area, which is also influenced by the warm breezes from Lake Como. Ar.Pe.Pe cultivates a total of 13 hectares of terraced vineyards here, in the heart of the D.O.C. Valtellina Superiore, between Buglio in Monte and Tirano. To make Ar.Pe.Pe. Valtellina Superiore Il Pettirosso the grapes grow in a south-facing plot, between 400 and 500 metres above sea level.

The Ar.Pe.Pe winery stands out for its long macerations. And this is what they use in Ar.Pe.Pe. Valtellina Superiore Il Pettirosso was born. Following a manual harvest, where the workers even climb the slopes, the grapes are processed, crushed and transferred to a wooden vat where they are also macerated for 116 days. During this time the grape skins will deposit anthocyanins in the must. This is a polyphenol, found in grape skins, which is responsible for giving the fruit its reddish colour. With this continuous contact, two things happen: the intensity of the wine’s colour and aroma increase; secondly, it creates a wine loaded with polyphenols (which are antioxidants) that will help Ar.Pe.Pe. Valtellina Superiore Il Pettirosso withstand long aging. Once the maceration has finished, Ar.Pe.Pe. Valtellina Superiore Il Pettirosso ferments with native yeasts, without any kind of intervention, and spends 12 months resting in wooden vats. In order for a wine to be classified as a D.O.C. Valtellina Superiore, it must be aged for a total of 24 months (with a minimum of twelve months in wood). Ar.Pe.Pe. Valtellina Superiore Il Pettirosso has already achieved this. Now there are only another twelve months in the bottle before it is released for sale.

Despite its renovation and facilities, Ar.Pe.Pe. Valtellina Superiore Il Pettirosso remains one of the wineries that best maintains the traditional Valtellina style.