I know a few things about writing books at this point (and trust me, I’m all authored-out at the moment!), so I appreciate those that are well thought out and well written.
The Amarone della Valpolicella Vintage Atlas by Elisabetta Tosi, Giampiero Nadali (136 pages, about $25) fits squarely into those categories. [Editor’s note: Full disclosure, Elisabetta is a longtime friend of 1WD]. It’s billed as “A definitive, data-driven guide to every Amarone della Valpolicella vintage from 1960 to 2022” which, given the stressful state of global sales and the multi-year decline in interest in Amarone specifically, seems like a reference tool that is answering questions that very few wine lovers are even asking at the moment.
BUT…. This vintage atlas is not just a glorified vintage chart guide..There’s a ton of research done here, with the first chapter being dedicated to regional history (as someone who has taken several wine exams, I was kind of shocked by how much of that stuff I did not already know). Historical context is given for the vintage ranges, as well, and the final chapter is dedicated to how to best enjoy Amarone stylistically. In other words, Tosi and Nadali just went ALL IN on Amarone, wine market and consumption trends be damned.
The result is a pleasant surprise: a new go-to for Amarone devotees, and a high quality starting point for the Amarone- and Valpolicella-curious, coming seemingly out of left field. And I’m here for it.
I have long said that every wine region/style needs a vocal champion, and we’ve seen that play out over the years with MW Lisa Granik and Georgia, Randy Caparoso and Lodi, and even me to some extent with Hungarian dry Furmint. Amarone might have just found its modern media cheerleaders in Tosi and Nadali.
Cheers!