Giuseppe Quintarelli

The Quintarelli story begins before the First World War, when Silvio Quintarelli sharecropped vines alongside his brothers in Figari, in the municipality of Marano di Valpolicella. After the war, Silvio moved his family to the Negrar Valley and established his own estate in 1924 in the hamlet of Cerè, just outside Negrar. His youngest son, Giuseppe, was born in 1927 and assumed management of the estate in the early 1950s. Over six decades, Giuseppe elevated the property from a modest family winery into the undisputed reference point for Amarone della Valpolicella, earning the nickname Il Maestro del Veneto. He passed away in January 2012 at age 84, leaving the estate to daughter Fiorenza, her husband Giampaolo Grigoli, and their sons Francesco and Lorenzo.

• Silvio Quintarelli founded the estate in 1924 in Cerè di Negrar, after sharecropping in Figari, Marano di Valpolicella
• Giuseppe (born 1927) took over in the early 1950s and spent six decades building Quintarelli into Amarone's global benchmark
• Estate passed to daughter Fiorenza Grigoli, son-in-law Giampaolo, and grandsons Francesco and Lorenzo following Giuseppe's death in January 2012

Giuseppe Quintarelli fundamentally reshaped how the world understood Amarone and Valpolicella. At a time when the region was associated with everyday table wine, he demonstrated that patient winemaking, exceptional fruit selection, and extended oak aging could produce wines of genuine world-class stature. His influence on subsequent generations was direct: Romano Dal Forno, now one of Valpolicella's most celebrated producers, worked closely with Quintarelli early in his career and absorbed lessons in yield management and grape selection that shaped his own approach. Giuseppe was widely considered the father of Amarone as a serious, ageable wine category, a reputation built entirely through the quality in the bottle rather than any marketing.

• Considered the father of Amarone as a serious, internationally recognized wine category, earning the title Il Maestro del Veneto
• Romano Dal Forno worked closely with Quintarelli early in his career, absorbing foundational principles of yield management and grape selection
• Amarone and Recioto della Valpolicella were elevated to DOCG status on 4 December 2009, reflecting the category's rise in prestige that Quintarelli helped drive

The estate's 12 hectares sit on the eastern slope of the Negrar Valley at around 500 metres elevation, with additional plots in Valgatara, Sant'Ambrogio, and Montorio. Soils are predominantly calcareous with basaltic areas. Local varieties including Corvina and Corvinone are trained on the traditional Veronese pergola system, while international varieties such as Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc are trained on Guyot. Yields are kept minimal through rigorous pruning and green harvesting. Harvests proceed late and are carried out entirely by hand into small wooden crates, sometimes spanning October through November. For Amarone production, grapes are dried in the fruttaio for approximately five to six months, with three different drying methods employed. After drying, grapes are macerated for around 20 days, then fermented with indigenous yeasts for approximately 45 days. Wines are then aged in large, hand-carved Slavonian oak botti for a minimum of 7 years (Amarone Classico) or 10 years (Riserva), without fining or filtration.

• 12 hectares at approximately 500 metres on the eastern slope of Negrar Valley; soils are calcareous with basaltic areas; additional plots in Valgatara, Sant'Ambrogio, and Montorio
• Appassimento lasts approximately five to six months using three methods: hanging bunches, shallow wooden crates, and wooden racks; botrytis develops naturally through the drying period
• Fermentation with indigenous yeasts only; approximately 20 days maceration and 45 days fermentation; minimum 7 years aging in Slavonian oak botti for Amarone Classico, 10 years for Riserva

The flagship Amarone della Valpolicella Classico DOCG is built from approximately 55% Corvina and Corvinone, 30% Rondinella, and 15% Cabernet Sauvignon, Nebbiolo, Croatina, and Sangiovese, aged a minimum of 7 years in Slavonian oak. In exceptional vintages only, an Amarone Riserva is produced with 10 years of oak aging. The Valpolicella Classico Superiore uses 50% dried grapes with an appassimento lasting two months, aged 7 years in Slavonian oak before a ripasso on Amarone lees. Rosso del Bepi is a Veneto IGT produced in years when fruit quality does not meet Amarone standards; it uses the same appassimento and aging methods as the Amarone itself. Alzero, a Veneto IGT Bordeaux blend of 40% Cabernet Sauvignon, 40% Cabernet Franc, and 20% Merlot, first produced in the early 1980s, is the only Quintarelli wine aged in French oak (five years). The estate also produces a Recioto della Valpolicella Classico and a white blend from Garganega, Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, and Trebbiano.

• Amarone Classico DOCG: 55% Corvina/Corvinone, 30% Rondinella, 15% other varieties; minimum 7 years Slavonian oak; Riserva requires 10 years and is produced only in exceptional vintages
• Valpolicella Classico Superiore: 50% dried grapes (2 months appassimento), 7 years Slavonian oak, ripasso on Amarone lees; typically around 15% ABV
• Alzero (Veneto IGT): 40% Cabernet Sauvignon, 40% Cabernet Franc, 20% Merlot; 5 years in French oak; introduced in the early 1980s at the urging of US importer Robert Chadderdon

Giuseppe Quintarelli, affectionately known as Bepi, is regarded by wine professionals and critics as the most transformative figure in Valpolicella's modern history. His hand-written labels, each bottle a testament to the labor involved, became an instantly recognizable symbol of uncompromised artisanal production. He was famously private and averse to publicity, preferring that the wines speak for themselves. The winery still has no official website and displays no sign at the entrance. His philosophy that a weak vintage warranted no Amarone release set a standard of integrity that remains rare in the wine world. Daughter Fiorenza and the Grigoli family continue to make wine by the same methods, and the estate remains one of the most sought-after allocations in Italian wine.

• Hand-written labels became an iconic symbol of artisanal integrity; the estate has no official website and displays no sign at its Cerè entrance
• Giuseppe's discipline of skipping Amarone production in weak vintages (for example, 2005 saw no Amarone released after hailstorms compromised fruit quality) remains a defining mark of quality commitment
• Widely referred to as the father of Amarone and Il Maestro del Veneto, his influence extends across the entire Valpolicella region and beyond

Given that Quintarelli Amarone spends a minimum of 7 years in oak before release, bottles arrive at the market already with substantial development. Most collectors and critics recommend a further decade or more of bottle aging to allow full integration of the wine's concentration and structure. The Valpolicella Classico Superiore is more approachable on release but benefits from several years in bottle as well. The estate's policy of withholding Amarone in weaker vintages naturally limits supply and supports long-term collector interest. Secondary market demand is consistently strong, and allocation through specialist importers remains the primary acquisition route for most buyers. Both the Amarone Classico and the rare Riserva bottlings command significant premiums, and Alzero is considered among the most sought-after Veneto IGT wines by value on Wine-Searcher.

• Amarone Classico: arrives after 7 years in oak; further 10-plus years of bottle aging recommended for peak complexity; Riserva (10 years oak) requires even longer
• Consistent secondary market appreciation reflects limited production of approximately 60,000 bottles annually across all wines and the estate's willingness to forgo Amarone in weak vintages
• Alzero ranks among the highest-priced Veneto IGT wines on the secondary market and is among the most searched wines from the region