Valpolicella Classico Spade

Valpolicella Classico Spade is listed in the Italian red category and follows the Valpolicella style, which is traditionally built on Corvina, often with Rondinella and sometimes Molinara. The listing gives its origin as Massachusetts, United States, under the Esplanda label. No grape blend, vintage, alcohol level or oak regimen is specified, so the notes below describe what this style usually delivers and are not a measured profile of this bottle. Wines in this style tend to be light to medium in body, with sour cherry, red plum and a little dried herb or almond-skin bitterness. Tannins are usually soft and fine-grained, and acidity is bright, which gives a lean, savory finish instead of a jammy one. Oak is normally minimal or absent in the entry-level versions, so expect fruit and acidity to lead. That structure suits a red meant to go with food and be opened soon after purchase. At the table, the acidity cuts through tomato-based dishes, so it works with baked pasta, pizza with sausage or mushrooms, and meatballs in red sauce. It also handles roast chicken, pork loin, charcuterie and aged hard cheeses like Grana Padano or Parmesan. Salty, fatty dishes suit it better than heavily spiced or very rich red-meat preparations, which would overpower a wine of this weight. Serve it slightly cool, around 14 to 16°C (57 to 61°F). Thirty minutes in the refrigerator before opening usually gets a room-temperature bottle to that range. Decanting isn't needed, though a few minutes in the glass will soften any initial tightness. A standard red wine glass with a moderately wide bowl lets the cherry fruit open up without exaggerating the alcohol. Styles like this are generally drink-now wines, best within a couple of years of purchase, and there is nothing in the details here to suggest long cellaring.