Brigaldara Amarone Della Valpolicella Wine Tasting with Special Guest Owner Antonio Cesari Wednesday, March 18, 2026 7:30 PM

“The only way of rendering life endurable is to drink as much wine as one can come by.”

- James Branch Cabell, Beyond Life

And you have 4 chances to come out to the wine bar and drink with me this week!

I love Italian wines.  It’s hard to believe that when I bought the store 28 years ago we only had 4 different Italian labels on the shelf.  Today, we have one of the greatest collections of Barolos, Barbarescos, Super Tuscans, Chianti, and of course Amarone available not only in South Florida but anywhere in the world!

Amarone is from the Valpolicella region of Italy and is one of the most unique wines in terms of the way the wine is produced.  They air dry the grapes for up to three months until they become almost like raisins before they crush them and ferment the juice.  This magical elixir is made from a blend of indigenous varietals that most wine lovers have never heard of and these grapes are only found in the Veneto region.  The noble Corvina is the most important with Corvinone, Rondinella making up the three major and Mollinara being a minor contributor. 

Join us on Wednesday, March 18^th as we taste through a selection of wines from one of the stars of this region with the owner of Brigaldara winery Antonio Cesare.  The fee for this tasting which includes dinner and gratuity is $250 + tax, for reservations call 954-523-9463 or email andy@winewatch.com.

Brigaldara Amarone Della Valpolicella Wine Tasting

with Special Guest Owner Antonio Cesari

Wednesday, March 18, 2026

7:30 PM

2023 Brigaldara Soave Classico

2024 Brigaldara Valpolicella Classico

2019 Brigaldara Valpolicella Superior

2022 Brigaldara Valpolicella Superior

2022 Brigaldara Valpolicella Ripasso

2019 Brigaldara Amarone della Valpolicella Classico

2019 Brigaldara Amarone della Valpolicella Cavolo

2018 Brigaldara Amarone della Valpolicella Cavolo

2011 Brigaldara Amarone della Valpolicella Riserva San Floriano

2019 Brigaldara Recioto della Valpolicella Classico DOCG, Veneto

Menu

Selection of Blue Cheese

Cobb Salad with buttermilk Gorgonzola Dressing

Amarone Pasta with Crispy Prosciutto

Blue Fin Tuna Served Over Black Bean Puree and Red Pepper Salsa

Dark Chocolate Mousse with Black Cherry Coulis

The fee for this tasting which includes dinner and gratuity is $250 + tax, for reservations call 954-523-9463 or e-mail andy@winewatch.com.  Please let us know when you make your reservations if you have any food allergies or aversions and chefs Toni and Dani will be happy to accommodate you.

A bit about Valpolicella and Brigaldara:

Valpolicella, according to some accounts, means “valley of many cellars,” which seems fitting.  It is derived, they say, from the Greek word poli (many) and the Latin cella (cellar).   This area is approximately 27 miles long and 5 miles wide, it passes north and west of Verona, extending from the Adige River to the Cazzano Valley.  Bardolino and Lake Garda lie to the west and Soave to the east.  The land ranges in altitude from 490 to 1,475 feet above sea level.  The vines in the classico district to the northwest of Verona, are planted on the hillsides and mountain slopes of the valleys of the Adige tributaries and the Fumane, Marano, and Negrar torrents.  Some of the vineyards are terraced with stone.  The cretaceous, calcareous soil is of glacial origins.  And volcanic activity in this area contributed elements to the soil as well.  

The area around Sant’Ambrogio is considered the heart of the Amarone production zone.  Within this area, northeast of Gargagnago, is a valley called Vaio Armaron, which may have given the wine its name.   The blend of grapes typically used in Valpolicella is Corvina (40%-70%), Rondinella (20%-40%), Molinara (5%-25%) and may contain up to 15% Negrara Trentina, Rossignola, Dindarella, Barbera, and/or Sangiovese.  Before 1989 producers were allowed to add as much as 15% of grapes, must, or wine from outside the zone to correct problems from a weak vintage, but this practice is prohibited today.  Corvina contributes color, body, bouquet, flavor, and the basic Valpolicella character to the wine.   Rondinella, which is resistant to disease and rot, is added for its color and strength, tannin and vigor, it also adds some refinement to the aromas.  Molinara, or Mulinara, is also known as Rossara Veronese and Rossanella, is blended in to make the wine lighter and more drinkable.  It also contributes dryness and acidity, as well as that characteristic bitterness.  Negrara, adds softness, freshness and early drinkability.

The first dry Amarone, according to writer Cesare Marchi, was the result of a fortunate accident.  In the early 1950s, Adelino Lucchese, Bertani’s cellar master, discovered a barrel of wine in the cellar that had been overlooked and neglected for some time.  Certain that it had spoiled he was about to discard its contents, when curiosity prompted him to take a taste just to see what had happened.  He was astonished to discover that the forgotten wine had a velvety texture and a penetrating perfume, a slightly bitter taste, but not at all unpleasant. 

There is however evidence that the Romans made a type of bitter Recioto for diabetics or other people who couldn’t take sugar.  Sandro Boscaini of Masi pointed out that some of the oldest families in Valpolicella, the Count Campostrini and Count Serego Alighieri, as well as his own produced an Amaro, a dry Recioto.  This would seem to indicate that Amarone is considerably older that Marchi admits.  According to another book called Valpolicella Spolendida Contea Dei Vino, written by Lamberto Paronetto, the name Amarone has been in use since the eighteenth century.  It became popular at the beginning of this century and the name could very well be derived from the Italian word amaro, meaning “bitter” (scholar Scipione Maffei, writing in the first half of the eighteenth century, refers to an amaro, a dry wine from the Valpolicella area), or it could come from Vajo Armaron, where some highly regarded Amarones have been produced for ages."... Not the splendor of the landscape, not the events of the history, not the monuments of the art, not the songs of the poets, has served to render note of Valpolicella’s greatest asset: the wine ", wrote Giuseppe Silvestri, journalist and historian.

The importance of winemaking in this region is underscored by the creation in 1885 of the very first Italian school for vine growing and oenology. In addition, Veneto was the first region to constitute the first strada del vino or "wine road". This first wine-touring road featured special road signs providing information on vines and the wines they were made into and joined the Valdobbiadene and Conegliano DOC zones crossing a series of hilly vineyards.

The Brigaldara estate is set apart in the county of Saint Floriano, facing the Marano hills. There is a tree lined avenue when you approach the neoclassic villa at the Brigaldara estate that crosses the lower part of the 15 hectares of vineyards. Beside the villa, in their great park, smaller houses are found with characteristic covered Italian porches, and where wine cellars have been recently restructured and are currently being widened.

From 1928 the Cesari family has owned this land.  Stefano Cesari has molded this estate into one of the best in the commune of San Pietro in Cariano, in the Valpolicella Classico zone, having started it as a hobby in 1978.  He makes his wines in a modern fashion, with plenty of fruit and a clean, fresh style.  His Amarone is his top wine. And now they produce three cuvée’s, adding the Single Vineyard Casa Vecie and most recently the KILLER Riserva Amarone.  The line-up at Brigaldara also includes an excellent Recioto della Valpoicella and a ripasso Valpolicella Classico.  Stefano has been an innovative producer in Valpolicella.  In 1990, Brigaldara replaced many of the 50 hectoliter Slovanian casks to ferment and age his wine with more modern small oak barriques.  Brigaldara was one of the first wineries in this part of Italy to do this!

All the wines in the store from Brigaldara Winery on SALE!!

2023 Brigaldara Soave Classico

Price: $18.00                             Your Price: $15.84                           Quantity in Stock: 5

2018 Brigaldara Soave Classico

Price: $19.00                             Your Price: $16.72                           Quantity in Stock: 9

Tasting notes:  Fresh and fruity wine with notes of chamomile, peach and citrus, in which acidity plays an important role. Clean, medium-long finish.

2023 Brigaldara Valpolicella Classico

Price: $19.00                             Your Price: $16.72                           Quantity in Stock: 10

Corvina 55%, Corvinone 25%, Rondinella 20% Bright ruby. Vibrant aromas of redcurrant, blackberry and fresh violet on the knockout nose. Quite juicy on the palate, with floral red berry flavours given laser-like precision by lovely harmonious acidity. Very well-balanced wine, clean and clear.

2022 Brigaldara Valpolicella Classico

Price: $18.00                             Your Price: $15.84                           Quantity in Stock: 3

Wine description: Brigaldara‘s Valpolicella is a delightfully elegant, affordable light red. Bright and fresh with red cherry fruit and hints of herbs, this wine can easily pair well with a wide variety of foods and especially lighter fare like roast or grilled chicken, salmon, turkey burgers, lighter pasta dishes and grilled vegetables. The wine is fun and easy and will go down surprisingly fast so grab a couple bottles.

2022 Brigaldara Valpolicella Ripasso Superiore

Price: $35.00                             Your Price: $30.80                           Quantity in Stock: 10

Winery Notes Bright ruby. Aromas of red plum, marzipan and exotic flowers, along with a saline nuance. Juicy and tightly coiled on the palate, with strong acidity that preserves the red fruit and spice flavours. It finishes with good purity of fruit and length.

2020 Brigaldara Case Vecie Valpolicella

Price: $34.89                             Your Price: $30.70

Valpolicella Superiore Case Vecie derives from the vinification of fresh grapes, mainly Corvina and Corvinone. It borrows its name from the homonymous vineyard located in Grezzana - Valpantena, where the ripening of the grapes is subject to significant temperature variations between day and night: a climatic characteristic that gives the wine a particular spiciness on the nose and a completely unique polyphenolic profile. On the palate, acidity denotes an important structure, thanks to the rigorous selection of the grapes and to the winemaking techniques employed to extract only the noblest components from the skin. A wine which is capable of combining body, structure and excellent drinkability, revealing its sensorial complexity due to the slow ripening of the grapes.

Brilliant ruby with hints of cherry, balsamic notes of vanilla and spices. Soft taste and good structure. It is a full-bodied wine with a balanced alcoholic content.

2019 Brigaldara Case Vecie Valpolicella Superiore

Price: $34.89                             Your Price: $30.70                           Quantity in Stock: 7

(92 points) The 2019 Valpolicella Superiore Case Vecie is a deep red color with a purple hue. It wafts up spicy with an attractive sour citrus tangerine note that gives way to bright cherries and dusty rose. It’s silky-smooth and decidedly savory, with saline-minerals up front giving way to tart red berries and hints of sour citrus. This is incredibly perfumed and long, yet it also maintains amazing freshness. The Case Vecie is a beautiful wine, reminding me of cru Beaujolais.  Eric Guido, Vinous (Apr 2022)

2010 Brigaldara Amarone della Valpollicella Classico DOCG Veneto 3 Liter

Price: $576.00                           Your Price: $506.88

(93 Points) The 2010 Amarone della Valpolicella Classico is a thick and delicious interpretation that delivers loads of personality and determination. The bouquet is redolent of dried fruit, prune, cassis, spice, leather, licorice and Teriyaki sauce. The intensity is absolutely irresistible with power and muscle delivered in a silken glove. Round tannins and plush fruit richness gives the wine loads of energy to fuel its long finish (ML).  Wine Advocate, Review Date: 02/2015

2001 Brigaldara Amarone della Valpolicella Classico DOCG Veneto, Italy (6 Liter)

Price: $925.00                           Your Price: $814.00

"A clean-cut Amarone, with a balanced mix of raisin and spicy oak. Medium- to full-bodied, with fine tannins and a clean, spicy finish." (Web only, 2006) -Wine Spectator

2019 Brigaldara Amarone della Valpolicella Cavolo

Price: $75.00                             Your Price: $66.00                           Quantity in Stock: 22

(96 Points) The 2019 Amarone della Valpolicella Cavolo  impresses with its remarkably pretty bouquet of dusty roses,shavings of cear and cocoa-dusted black cherries. This is soothingly round yet energetic, with fresh acidity and bright wild berry fruits that swirl as hints of espresso bean dark chocolate add bitter bite. Long and staining, the 2019 lingers on as a web of fine tannins forms a classically dry sensation, offset by a tinge of sour orange. Always more approachable in its youth , the Cavolo is an overachiever today but amply balanced for the cellar.  Vinous EG

2018 Brigaldara Cavolo Amarone Della Valpolicella

Price: $66.00                             Your Price: $58.08

Amarone Cavolo derives from a careful selection of the grapes in the vineyard and a strict management of the drying process. The selected bunches are the sparsest and best exposed ones. Once harvested, they are left to dry for ca. 120 days, at the end of which vinification takes place. Here, all the noble components held in the skins are transferred to the wine. Amarone Cavolo is a wine that follows the traditional production method, aging in large barrels for at least 4 years.

Garnet red with fruit jam, sour cherry, cherry and vanilla aromas, with hints of dried grapes and spicy notes. It is a wine of great structure. Complex, elegant and velvety.

2016 Brigaldara Case Vecie Amarone Della Valpolicella

Price: $140.00                           Your Price: $123.20

(96 points) The 2016 Amarone della Valpolicella Classico Case Vecie seduces with a beguiling and lifted mix of crushed stone, dusty rose and bright cherry. This is dark and velvety, moody in feel yet seductive and pliant, simply harmonious, mixing salty minerals and ripe rich red fruits and spices, hints of mocha and inner violet florals. There’s simply so much going on here. The 2016 tapers off incredibly long and structured. It’s still easy to like today with floral rose and violet tones, along with a bitter twang of balsamic spice. A simply stunning Case Vecie. -Vinous.

2012 Brigaldara Amarone dell Valpolicella Case Vecie Magnum

Price: $340.00                           Your Price: $299.20

Amarone Case Vecie borrows its name from the homonymous vineyard located in Grezzana - Valpantena. An extraordinary plot of land planted with vines where altitude and exposition enable the grapes to undergo a slow and constant ripening, even during the hardest years. The late harvesting period enables us to put the grapes to dry in a colder period of the year, undergoing a slower and longer drying process. Amarone Case Vecie is a wine that is designed to enhance the natural characteristics of a high altitude climate: a true Amarone "Vigne Alte" - a high-hill Amarone.

2012 Brigaldara Amarone della Valpolicella Riserva San Floriano

Price: $260.00                           Your Price: $228.80

2011 Brigaldara Amarone della Valpolicella Riserva San Floriano

Price: $265.00                           Your Price: $233.20                         Quantity in Stock: 8

2007 Brigaldara Amarone della Valpolicella Riserva San Floriano Magnum

Price: $580.00                           Your Price: $510.40

Amarone Riserva is a wine that interprets the Valpolicella region respecting timings and techniques. The grapes are selected from the best vineyards of the winery to synthesize and express the maximum potential of our land. The drying of the grapes is characterized by the seasonal post-harvest trend. A very elegant wine that expresses a neat balance between fruit and pulp, characterized by deep and complex tertiary notes.

Deep ruby. Intense aromas of dark cherry and plum are complicated by cocoa and coffee. Enters rich and fruity, then more floral, finishing long with a refined but very dense, tactile mouthfeel. It is a wine of great structure. Complex, elegant and velvety.

2019 Brigaldara Recioto della Valpolicella Classico DOCG, Veneto

Price: $76.00                             Your Price: $66.88                           Quantity in Stock: 12

Corvina 55%, Corvinone 25%, Rondinella 20% Intense red ruby loaded with mocha, black cherries, plums, espresso and spices. The intense fruit is nicely balanced by an underlying energy and focus. Sweet perfumed notes wrap around the long, satisfying finish

The wine bar is only open for our wine tasting events, but we are now selling a single table in the Wine Cave on any night that we are open for tastings.  So pretty much Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights or any other night you see an event on the calendar we will take one reservation in the Wine Cave.  We will take up to 16 people but will accept as few as 6 for a curated dinner by Chef Toni.  We must know in advance what food items you want so you will have to coordinate the menu with Toni ahead of time, but she can put together any of your favorites from past Wine Bar menus or whatever you want if she has enough notice. The best thing about this table is the view of the wine, we have the largest selection of vintage wine in South Florida and everything is available at a retail price!!  You may want to bring a sweater it is 64 degrees in the wine cave.