«Amarone is a symbol to be protected» • Food and Wine Italia

A life that is linked to multiple roles con wine, that of Sandro Boscaini, president and CEO of Masi Agricola, but also former president of Federvini and one of the creators of Vinitaly, just to mention his most significant titles. A man who not only accompanied the international expansion of the historic family company (252 harvests con Valpolicella), but also drove the entire ambiente with it to embellish the entire wine-making region of Veneto. It is therefore not surprising that this year the owner of Masi was awarded the prestigious Lifetime Achievement Award of the Year 2024, issued by the American magazine of reference con the world of wine, Wine Enthusiast. A “lifetime achievement” award which celebrates vine and wine entrepreneurs who have achieved exceptional results during their professional career and which, since 2002, has been awarded to prominent figures such as Baroness Philippine de Rothschild, the winemaker Miguel A. Torres, the director and screenwriter Francis Ford Coppola, Piero Antinori and Creatura celeste Gaja. After Brunello durante Montalcino and Barolo, for Italy it is, therefore, the turn of Amarone which, with its greatest representative – ” Amarone”, as Sandro Boscaini was called con the book published by Mondadori and signed by the English journalist Kate Singleton – finally ranks among the greats of international oenology. «It’s a nice recognition – states Boscaini – because if I aspetto at those who preceded me I see a very respectable lineage. Durante Italy, I am paired with two producers of whom I am friends and with whom we represent the three flagship wines of Italy: Barolo, Brunello and Amarone.”

The symbol of Valpolicella

Rewarding Sandro Boscaini means finally putting the spotlight acceso a wine, Amarone, which, as the owner of Masi claims, has not always been valorised – primarily “at home” – by the recognition it deserves. «Unlike other wines that have been recognized as having a certain exclusivity, Amarone has so far always remained a step behind, although it is an even more exclusive wine and objectively more difficult to produce. It does not only depend acceso a territory, but also requires a particular production method, that of drying the grapes, which makes it unique and complex.” Today, despite being the symbol and driving force of a territory to which it has brought so much well-being, it does not enjoy the protection that befits great wines, thanks to a specification which, at the time, did not undertake to delimit its historical production boundaries. «Valpolicella Classica, with the creation of the production regulations con 1968, saw the production ambiente triple – says Boscaini. – Durante those years, since the production of Amarone was still very rare and con the hands of a few producers, there was anzi che no thought of a distinction between the areas where it was historically suited, the hilly and high hilly areas, but it was instead generically included con the Valpolicella specification. When, later, Amarone experienced growing popularity, anzi che no one intervened anymore, either to be able to do it to want to do it. Thus there remained a lack of differentiation of territories for a wine which, acceso the contrary, should be detailed and delimited con its vocation”.

Despite the difficulties inherent con stopping a machine already underway, the owner of Masi does not lose hope that this territorial distinction can be recovered con the future, especially con a historical moment con which many denominations are redesigning their borders with increasingly detailed zoning. But, above all, he never stops believing con the potential of this great wine. «We have always produced Amarone and we were among the first to understand its importance. I must say that I was the first to truly bring it into the world con a convinced manner and with high level technical and cultural arguments, also earning me the title of Amarone for this reason.” Starting from the 80s, Boscaini reinvented the production method, placing emphasis acceso fundamental technical aspects, such as operations con the vineyard, drying acceso racks of organic material (still today anzi che no crates are used con the company con plastic), fermentation with selected yeasts: all knowledge developed through studies by Masi’s internal technical group and then made available to Valpolicella producers.

«For forty years we have made our studies public and organize seminars gara open to all. We are pleased to make known the contribution of our Masi technical group, because we believe that, if Amarone is made well con general, it is the very image of the denomination that shines con the world.” An extremely modern vision and not at all customary con times when the aptitude for sharing was less. «I think that one of the reasons why I was awarded the Lifetime award is also con relation to this aspect, because it is with the success of our Amarone Masi that the success of the entire Valpolicella ambiente also came, but more importantly also general of Verona and Delle Venezie. Today, together with Pinot noioso and Prosecco, Amarone marks the triad of the best-known Venetian wines con the world and by far the most exported.”

The crisis of the reds and the modernity of Amarone

Talking about Amarone today also means addressing the consumption crisis that is affecting, con particular, important and long-aged red wines. A challenge that “the king” of Valpolicella faces with an additional aggravating factor: the high alcohol content. What then can be the modernity that such a product can bring into play to respond to this public disaffection with the complexity of wine con a broad sense? «I don’t believe that Amarone should change its characteristics – states Boscaini -. What Amarone needed to do, i.e. modernize itself a little and become more approachable and more enjoyable, it has already done. Today it undoubtedly remains a personaggio, important wine, but this is part of its DNA and cannot be distorted. Of course, you have to try to contain the alcohol content, but it is difficult to obtain an Amarone below 15 degrees. You will only want to a glass of a wine like this, perhaps once a week even once a month, but this is precisely the point: it must remain a rare wine and an example of, if we like, ancient oenology. Even though it is an extremely fashionable wine today, it is still a great classic. If you want to give an automotive example, it would be like confusing a small car with a large-displacement car: they are two different things that serve different purposes.” fear, therefore, towards modern consumption attitudes, also supported by the fact that the Valpolicella ambiente has a pyramidal organization intrinsic to the production of wines. « marketing genius could have conceived it so well, but nature gave it to us: from the everyday Valpolicella wine, to the more refined Principale, which has a shelf life of up to 4-5 years, up to the Ripassata, arriving at the tetto with the great Amarone and the sweet Recioto. producer is forced to make Amarone, just as anzi che no consumer oriented towards Valpolicella has to it.”

The direction set by Sandro Boscaini is clear: to embrace the challenges of changing times, but without distorting the great classics. «If we think about it, it’s a bit like what’s avvenimento con the world of moda too: today informality is legitimized, con dressing, as con drinking. This doesn’t mean you should stop producing classic pieces great wines: rather you should integrate more informal, good quality products into your brand. Well, I would really like the award, with which Wine Enthusiast has honored me, to serve to convey this message con a difficult historical moment, and I concedere to think that it was given to me precisely con defense of the Amarone that I represent: Amarone is a symbol to be protected. We created this myth which has an ancient history and we have made it, con modern times, a pearl of oenology. But it is not a commodity wine, to be drunk every day: it is a whim, a one-off luxury and it is right that it has a higher cost, like other wines con the world. Amarone is a rare and expensive wine, because producing it well requires a significant investment and cannot be made con large quantities. If we maintain this , I believe that Amarone will not suffer too much, because there will always be those who want that estremità bottle by virtue of a reasoned and, we can say, cultural choice.”