Visiting Claudio Farina

Recently, Claudio Farina of winery Farina was in the country. WINELIFE spoke to him briefly during an Amarone masterclass he gave at hotel Central Park Voorburg. -TEXT: HARALD KOLKMAN IMAGE: VERBUNT VERLINDEN

Visiting Claudio Farina

During the masterclass, Claudio presents the first vintage of Mezzadro alla Fontana - Amarone della Valpolicella Classico Riserva 2011. Quite a mouthful. 'The ultimate expression of the family's oenological vision and the result of historical collaboration with local winemakers,' says Claudio. Farina is the oldest winery in Italy's Valpolicella Classico region, one of the best areas to produce quality wines. The influences of Lake Garda, the hills surrounding the vineyards, the Monte Baldo mountain range and the soil allow Farina to make the region's characteristic red wines, which have a natural structure and firm character. Farina grows the grapes corvina, corvinone, rondinella, molinara, negrara, oseleta and dindarella in its vineyards; local grapes, of which corvina is the most popular. Farina's vintage wines are made from the best grapes and only in the years when all conditions are perfect.

Inevitable legacy

Founded in the early 20th century, Farina is located in San Pietro in Cariano in the heart of Valpolicella Classico, just east of Lake Garda. It once started with around 20,000 bottles and that number has since grown to 1 million. Currently, Farina is owned by cousins Claudio and Elena Farina, the 3rd generation of the family.

'I was born into a family in which winemaking was an inevitable legacy,' Claudio begins. 'Before I finally made the choice to take further steps in the wine world, I wanted to make sure that the path my family had been walking for years was also my path. So I looked around in other branches for a while, so to speak, but I soon found out that I wanted to continue in the family business. 'It is necessary to be 100 per cent convinced, it is more than a nine-to-five job,' Claudio explains.

(...)

Want to read more about Claudio Farina? You can read about it in WINELIFE 79. You can order this one here!

Don't want to miss a single edition? Subscribe then subscribe to WINELIFE Magazine now!

Want to stay up to date with the best articles? Follow WINELIFE magazine on Instagram, Facebook and sign up for our fortnightly newsletter.