Luigi Righetti
Veneto, Valpolicella, Italy
Valpolicella can sometimes get overshadowed by Amarone’s larger, richer personality, but producers like Luigi Righetti remind you why the region works so well across the board. Traditional Verona reds with freshness, balance and enough restraint to stay genuinely drinkable.
The family winery sits in the heart of Valpolicella Classica near Lake Garda, working with the region’s classic grapes like Corvina, Rondinella and Molinara. Those varieties bring bright cherry fruit, gentle spice and soft herbal notes rather than huge tannin or extraction.
Their Valpolicella wines tend to stay lively and food-friendly, while the Ripasso and Amarone bottlings add more dried fruit, cocoa and savoury richness through the traditional appassimento process. The important thing is that the wines usually retain freshness underneath the richer styles. You still get acidity and lift rather than sheer weight.
Valpolicella itself is one of Italy’s great food wine regions because the wines naturally suit real meals. Tomato sauces, cured meats, mushroom dishes, hard cheese and slightly chaotic family dinners all make complete sense here.
There’s also a pleasingly old-school feel to producers like Luigi Righetti. Family-run, regionally focused and more interested in preserving local style than reinventing wine every few years for export markets.
