Dal Forno Romano unveils ‘one of the great vintages of the century’

Dal Forno Romano, based in Val d’Illasi, Veneto, has offered a preview of its 2016 Valpolicella Superiore and Amarone della Valpolicella, a vintage it has chosen to hold back and release after its 2017s. With this year also marking 40 years since its first harvest in 1983, Dal Forno Romano, part of Pol Roger Portfolio in the UK, will be releasing its 2016 Valpolicella Superiore later this week, and the 2016 Amarone della Valpolicella next year. Speaking to the drinks business, CEO Marco Dal Forno, who inherited the winery from his father Romano, explained what makes a good vintage in the region: “A great vintage in Valpolicella occurs when the seasonal trend is balanced and the weather is favourable. These two factors ensure that the plants are not stressed and that the grapes are healthy. Lastly, decisive factors, which depend on human intervention, are the timeliness and care with which work is carried out in the vineyard. It is necessary to be able to read the vintage and also the vineyard well to ensure that work is carried out effectively and in the adequate proportion.” “2016 will surely be remembered in the future as one of the great vintages of the century,” he continued. “There are two main reasons: the rainfall was neither too heavy nor too light, and the temperatures were never too extreme. We can therefore speak of a balanced vintage, which was reflected in the high quality of the grapes.” However, it was by no means an