2023 Recioto della Valpolicella Valpantena DOC, Bertani

Recioto is Valpolicella's sweet secret — the historic ancestor of Amarone, made by drying the grapes but stopping fermentation early so the wine keeps its rich, natural sweetness. Bertani, one of the Veneto's great old houses, makes this one from the Valpantena valley, and it is a proper after-dinner treat.

It is mostly Corvina Veronese, with a little Merlot and Rondinella. The bunches are dried on straw mats for months to concentrate the sugars, fermented to leave around 120 grams of residual sugar, then aged about a year in cherry-wood barrels. The colour is deep red-garnet; the nose is wild-berry jam laced with tobacco, chocolate and liquorice. On the palate it is plush and dense but never cloying, thanks to a balancing freshness, running to a spicy, long, almost port-like finish. This is a meditation wine — one to sip slowly.

Serve it after dinner, in small glasses, and let the conversation slow down. This comes as a 500ml bottle.

How to Serve

Serve lightly chilled, 14–16°C, in a smallish glass — the cooler temperature keeps the sweetness elegant rather than heavy. No decanting.

Where to Drink It

The River Café in Hammersmith to close an Italian feast. Or Bocca di Lupo near Piccadilly Circus for a regional Italian finish.

Food Pairings

Best of all on its own, after the meal. If you want food, dark chocolate or a wedge of aged pecorino is the way.