Journey of flavors: Verona and surroundings part 1

What do you say to take a little trip together through the Veronese lands? Are you in the mood to meet some friendly people who are passionate about good things? I’ve decided to bring you along with me and share the emotions that made us choose the suppliers of Spaghetti e Mandolino and the beauty of their regions of origin. Come on, get in the car with me: let's go!

Verona is a province that has plains, hills, mountains, and lakes. In short, it has it all. We start from the hills, particularly the eastern ones, which border with Vicenza. We immerse ourselves among the vineyards of Durello and Soave, climb the Alpone Valley, and encounter small villages that lead to the mythical Bolca, a tiny hamlet famous worldwide. It is here that perhaps the most beautiful fossil relics known to man have been found. Butterfly fish, tropical plants, mollusks, and corals from the prehistoric Eocene period. These were all lands submerged by warm waters, and if you look around, even today the hills are all shaped like small inverted cones, small underwater volcanoes that erupted lava beneath the surface.

Looking further east, we see the largest extinct volcano of the Alpine foothills, Calvarina. One of the four places in the world where enormous columnar basalt crystals can still be found, testifying to the lava that cooled underwater. As we ascend the Valle dell’Alpone, the vineyard takes center stage, and the cellars rise along the sides of the road. Today, not only Garganega for Soave DOC or Durella for Durello DOC are produced here: since 1968, the vineyards of the Eastern Valpolicella have been established. The “new Valpolicella,” which now offers many interesting points for all wine enthusiasts. To stay on theme, we can't pass through this valley without stopping at two gastronomic icons: in Terrossa, we find Antonio Fattori and in nearby Roncà, Giovanni Roncolato awaits us.

The Azienda Agricola Fattori is worth the stop because it represents the benchmark of oenology in this area, particularly for wine production along the volcanic slopes of the ancient Calvarina volcano. He awaits us at his home, a villa embedded in black basalt rock. The blue of the swimming pool in summer contrasts with the black rock as if we were on Etna. The aging cellar is a long tunnel carved between columnar basalts that ooze mineral water. An underground route that ends with a wall of fossil magma where a thin stream of pure water continuously flows.

Come on, we have some time, let's be accompanied to the new vineyard of the Valpolicella grapes. We ascend to over 400 meters on Còl de la Bastìa. A steep plot where the vineyard stretches up toward the sky: 12 extraordinary hectares on a slab of white rock. We might get our shoes dirty with limestone, but it’s worth it. Looking toward the valley, the eye races toward the vast Po Valley. In the distance, the towers of Ostellato emerge, the Calatrava bridges in Reggio Emilia, and, stretching our gaze, we glimpse the somewhat ethereal shapes of the Apennines. In short, an exciting visit to a high-quality vineyard with a person in love with his land and the dream he had since childhood.

We head towards another great interpreter of Veronese gastronomy. From Terrossa, we take the provincial road and reach Roncà. We are welcomed by a large square beneath the strangely rounded, maritime-like church. We leave the car in the square and on foot, after fifty meters, we go left and find La Casara: the kingdom for gourmet cheese lovers from all over the world. A place of worship for cheese lovers! Giovanni Roncolato has his smile as his strength. Son of shepherds and cattle breeders, Giovanni is the undisputed point of reference for Veronese cheese production. Much is owed to his tenacity and patience: the DOP of Monte Veronese, for example, owes a lot to this son of the Cimbri. His love for this land and for the traditions of these people is undoubtedly the cornerstone upon which he has built his success and the success of many other producers who have followed his example.

Let's be taken to the aging rooms, where extraordinary cheeses rest on long wooden planks, among which stand out masterpieces like Monte Veronese dop, Stravecchio di Malga Presidio Slow Food aged over 24 months. Giovanni's eyes always shine when he talks about these rare forms. We get in the car with him and let him take us to one of the places where the cow’s milk used to produce his cheeses comes from. It’s a slightly lengthy trip, but we have fun with Giovanni! His friendliness is evident, always putting everyone at ease. We head towards Velo Veronese, then reach San Giorgio, and at that point, the road becomes unpaved. We pass along ancient mule tracks built during the Great War by the last Italian outposts against the enemy. A landscape made of pasture and rock. No plants, as the Venetians used them all to build their naval fleet in the battle against Cyprus.

After the long ridge of Monte Sparavieri, we arrive at the little dirt road that leads up to Monte Tomba. All around, there are herds of cows that provide the milk for Giovanni's cheeses. Those pastures are unique in the world, recognized for their extraordinary richness of flowers and aromatic herbs that give the milk color and a range of aromas. Letting oneself be embraced by the breeze of the Little Dolomites and listening in silence to the tinkling of cowbells is a suggestion like few others. A totally zen experience! Giovanni tells us about his idea of Monte Veronese dop / Presidio Slow Food as a challenge against the depopulation of the mountains by young shepherds. A challenge unfortunately never won. But certainly, the challenge of quality, Giovanni has won from the beginning. And his cheeses made from Brogna sheep's milk, the ancient wool breed of the Scaligeri lords of Verona, represent another great step forward for the territory.

We head back towards Roncà, and before diving into the delights of the store, we make a stop in Brentòn. This ancient little village is just above Roncà, clinging to the volcanic rock of Monte Calvarina, above Roncà. Brentòn is the village where it all began for the Roncolato family. Here, the close family ties remain, and Giovanni has given strength and voice to an ancient cured meat tradition that distinguishes itself from the Veronese tradition. The tradition of Sopressa is ancient and is based on pig farming, where they are kept in the wild for most of their lives, among the courtyards and gardens of the ancient stone houses, and here the Sopressa de Brentòn comes to life. A substantial diet derived strictly from local sources. Basically, whatever nature provides. Then comes the cherry on top: aging caves carved into the volcanic rock. Caverns that could serve as movie sets for some Dracula remake. There, the hanging salamis find a rare perfection in their environment, both for the constant temperature and for the humidity and the smoked scent seeping from the rock. In short, a gastronomic gem that rises in the universe of Venetian soppressa. The pigs of Brentòn are raised by Giovanni's uncle and are excellent also for their legs, for ham and speck de ‘na olta (from times past). And what about fresh sausages, cotechini, morette, zamponi, etc.?

We leave the smile and pleasant company of Giovanni, although it is hard to do, and we take the road towards the next special meeting with the actors of Spaghetti & Mandolino. For now, let’s turn off the engines and rejoice in the emotions experienced thus far. But the journey continues.

Bernardo Pasquali

S&M