Just South East of Soave in the southern province of Vicenza, Italy, you’ll find a hidden gem of a wine region. When it comes to wine, Italy stands out as one of the world’s most celebrated and diverse producers. Among its myriad wine regions, Colli Berici shines like a diamond, boasting a rich history, breathtaking landscapes, and unique grape varieties that capture the essence of Italian viticulture.

What makes this wine region so special? Terroir and climate play a pivotal role in shaping the distinct character of its wines. The soil, rich in limestone and volcanic elements, provides excellent drainage and imparts unique mineral nuances to the grapes. The Mediterranean climate, with its warm summers and mild winters, allows the grapes to ripen gracefully, resulting in wines that balance depth and freshness. Winemaking traditions also make Colli Berici incredible, and winemakers continue to preserve age-old winemaking techniques while embracing modern innovation. Their commitment to sustainable and organic practices ensures that the wines are a true expression of the land and the people who cultivate it.

I had the chance to visit INAMA where their Carmenere stole my heart! Nestled within the captivating Colli Berici wine region of Italy, Inama Winery stands as a beacon of excellence and innovation in winemaking. Founded by Stefano Inama in the 1960s, this family-owned estate has become renowned for its commitment to crafting exceptional wines that reflect the unique terroir of the Berici Hills. Inama Winery is particularly celebrated for its mastery of the indigenous grape variety, Garganega, producing outstanding Soave wines that captivate with their aromatic profiles and refreshing flavors, but now they’re also well-known for Carmenere!

This grape varietal known for Bordeaux and Chilean wines also grows very well here and produces a concentrated, full bodied, aromatic wine. It’s funny, for 300 years Carmenere was planted in this area, but they were marketing it as Cabernet due to its similarities. Now they promote it as what it is, Carmenere and they produce it incredibly well!

They like to keep true to the grape varietals and have little wood intervention for the wines. The flavors must come from the soils and the grapes they expressed and the red clay soils which are rich in iron oxide sit on the limestone and really helps create the phenolics and tannins you’ll taste and feel in the wines. Carmenere is a big focus of theirs, however I really also loved the Bradisismo their Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, and Carmenere blend!

We began the tasting with a Soave Classico wine called I Palchi Foscarino Grande Cuvée. This wine is so elegant and captures the volcanic soils here in this region. This Garganega grape is an ancient classic varietal for Soave and this one was really fantastic. The label I also loved where you got to see an old scientific diagram of a Lunar Eclipse which is rare, and very cool like this citrus and chamomile forward wine. After we moved onto Colli Berici reds where we tasted the Bradisimo which I mentioned above. This is an intense wine with black fruit, spice, and chocolate. You really get all those grape varietals blended and perfectly balanced in this wine!

After that was the Carminium which is all Carmenere. It’s vivid and purple with an intense nose of herbs and spice; I absolutely loved this wine. This wine is from a special selection of grapes from the Oratorio di San Lorenzo vineyards where an old mulberry tree stands. Instantly you’re at peace when you’re here and that’s what is reflected on the label as well as in the wine… it’s simply harmonious. Up next we had the Merlot, and since we already know I am a big fan of merlot, I really was so excited to try this wine. The Campo del Lago Merlot is wild with berries, cocoa, and coffee! It has an attractive freshness with a deep red color that’s really beautiful. It’s a softer more rounded wine which is true to merlot in general but there’s something just so uplifting and more attractive about this merlot than other Italian ones I have tasted.

After merlot it was time for more Carmenere, which I totally did not mind at all. The Carmenere Più does have some Merlot in it to give it some more roundness but this wine ultimately has an incredible nose with spice, dark berries, and hints of cocoa. It has great spice and tannins and is a great alternative to Valpolicella (as they present it).

Last but also not the least we sipped Oratorio di San Lorenzo which is a Cermenere Riserva which is a very ripe wine with intensity and persistent. On the nose lots of blackberry and dark fruit with chocolate, spice, and pepper. It’s a big wine with roundness and great tannins with a long, luxurious length. They select the carmenere in only the best vintages and this wine truly showcases that.

With a perfect blend of tradition and modernity, Inama Winery continues to push the boundaries of winemaking, leaving an indelible mark on the Italian wine landscape and delighting wine enthusiasts around the world!

Always remember, eat what you like and drink what you love. Please pair responsibly!