Grandarella
⏳ wine.drinking_window
Typically best enjoyed 5 to 12 years from the vintage release, though well-stored bottles can continue to evolve beautifully for up to 15 years.
🍽️ wine.food_pairings
Slow-cooked beef stews, roasted game meats such as venison, and aged, savory cheeses like mature Asiago or Pecorino.
✨ wine.spec_sheet
Masi's Grandarella is a fascinating testament to the Venetian art of appassimento, a traditional grape-drying technique pioneered and perfected by the Boscaini family. While appassimento is famously associated with Valpolicella's Amarone, Grandarella represents a bold, innovative application of this ancient method to Refosco dal Peduncolo Rosso, an ancient indigenous grape of the Venetian regions, grown in the stony soils of the estate's vineyards. The hand-harvested grapes are laid out to dry on traditional bamboo racks, known as 'arele', during the dry autumn months. This natural dehydration process concentrates the sugars, acids, and tannins, resulting in a deeply colored, robust red wine. After fermentation, the wine is aged in oak casks, marrying the wild, rustic blackberry and plum notes of Refosco with sophisticated layers of sweet spice, cocoa, and velvety tannins. It is a brilliant bridge between historical regional grapes and time-honored winemaking craftsmanship.
🍾 wine.about_producer
Established in 1772 when the Boscaini family acquired their first vineyards in the 'Vaio dei Masi' valley, Masi Agricola is a benchmark producer of the Veneto region in northeastern Italy. Still family-owned and led by Sandro Boscaini, the estate is globally renowned for its expertise in the traditional Appassimento technique, where grapes are dried on bamboo racks to concentrate flavors. Masi is celebrated for pioneering the double-fermentation method behind its iconic Campofiorin, as well as crafting legendary Amarone della Valpolicella expressions like Costasera, Mazzano, and Campolongo di Torbe. Their portfolio beautifully bridges heritage and innovation, showcasing the diverse terroirs of Veneto, Friuli, and beyond through expressive red, white, and rosé wines.