Ar.Pe.Pe Valtellina Superiore Inferno Fiamme Antiche

A matter purely of revenge. Or perhaps it's about reclaiming what is rightfully yours. Whether there was any degree of satisfaction achieved, that remains unknown. However, one thing is crystal clear: the saga of the Pelizzatti family and their winery Ar.Pe.Pe. could very well be featured in the Netflix catalogue. And we are confident that it would be a resounding success.

The opening episode of the season, 01x01, transports us to the year 1860, situated in the northern reaches of Italy, within the region of Lombardy. Nestled at the foot of the Alps lies the Adda River and the area known as Valtellina, a valley dotted with vineyards and steep slopes. So far, so good. In that year, the Pelizzatti family founded their enterprise and for over a century dedicated themselves to wine production and vine cultivation. Prestigious crus like Grumello, Sassella, and Inferno would be under their stewardship. It is in this latter parcel, where the granitic soils hold the sun's warmth, that Ar.Pe.Pe Valtellina Superiore Inferno Fiamme Antiche was born. All very poetic and seemingly perfect.

And now, pay attention! Mid-season plot twist (perhaps we've reached episode 05x01)! The entire plan of the Pelizzatti family and their future prospects go down the drain following a family dispute and added "financial pressure," compelling the Pelizzattis to sell their winery to a Swiss conglomerate (which later merged it with another Italian winery that was eventually acquired by Gruppo Italiano Vini). Now comes the time for remorse, passion, jealousy, and vows of revenge, like the one made by Arturo Pelizzatti, who swore that his family would one day reclaim their business. Scriptwriters of Falcon Crest would marvel. This happened in 1975. Nine years later, in 1984, Alejandro Pelizzatti fulfilled that promise and the family rose from the ashes with their new company.

Though initially the family had lost the right to use their surname, the Pelizzattis were reborn under the name Ar.Pe.Pe and have since become a benchmark of Northern Italian winemaking. Manual harvesting, the elimination of pesticides, and extended aging are the keys to their success. Ar.Pe.Pe Valtellina Superiore Inferno Fiamme Antiche is a red wine crafted from nebbiolo grapes that meets all the aforementioned criteria. Thanks to these chemical-free cultivations, their wines truly reflect the granitic soils of the region. As mentioned before, Ar.Pe.Pe Valtellina Superiore Inferno Fiamme Antiche thrives in the Inferno sub-area, known for its higher temperatures compared to neighboring zones. This allows the grape clusters to ripen earlier, at an altitude of about 450 meters, resulting in fuller-bodied wines. After manual harvesting, Ar.Pe.Pe Valtellina Superiore Inferno Fiamme Antiche undergoes a maceration period of approximately 104 days and, following fermentation, it is left to age for a year and a half in wooden vats, stainless steel tanks, and bottles.

Possibly on par with Mario Puzo's The Godfather, the story of the Pelizzatti family could be material for a novel. In a true mafia style, it seems that Arturo's oath went even further. As Vito Corleone himself would say: "It's not personal, it's strictly business."