Allegraeto Valpolicella

Allegraeto Valpolicella is a red wine listed under the Valpolicella name, a style that traditionally comes from the Veneto region of northeastern Italy. The listing credits Esplanda as the producer and gives Massachusetts as the appellation, so check the label for the exact sourcing. Valpolicella is usually built on Corvina, often blended with Rondinella and sometimes Molinara. No grape blend, vintage or alcohol level is given for this bottle, so treat the notes below as what the style usually delivers, not as measurements of this wine. Expect a light-to-medium-bodied red with bright red and dark cherry fruit, perhaps dried herbs or a hint of almond skin on the finish. Styles like this typically have lively acidity, soft and fine tannins, and little or no obvious oak, which keeps the wine fresh and easy to drink. The finish tends to be short to medium and slightly bitter-cherry in character, and that bitterness works well alongside food. That acidity is why Valpolicella suits the table. It handles tomato-based dishes such as baked pasta, margherita or sausage pizza, and eggplant parmigiana. It also works with roast chicken, grilled sausages and mushroom risotto. Cured meats and medium-aged cheeses like Asiago or provolone are good matches too. Lighter reds like this tend to come across as crisp rather than heavy when served with a slight chill. Serve it at about 14 to 16°C (57 to 61°F). In practice that means 20 to 30 minutes in the refrigerator before opening, which keeps the fruit lively instead of flabby. Decanting isn't usually necessary for a wine of this type, though a few minutes in the glass will soften any initial tightness. A standard red wine glass with a moderately wide bowl is enough, and a slightly smaller Burgundy-style glass will concentrate the cherry aromas. Most wines in this category are made to be drunk young, so plan on opening it within a year or two of purchase instead of cellaring it. Without a stated vintage or producer notes, there is no reason to expect it to improve with long aging.