March 2001
Wine Lover's Page/Veneto Wine Diary - Michele Castellani
"For those who think of Valpolicella as a place of bucolic and possibly none-too-sanitary little farmhouse wineries turning out gooey Amarones and using such grapes as remain to make thin and boring Valpolicella, a visit with Sergio Castellani is a revelation. Running the winery that bears his father's name with a genial smile and an iron fist, his property breaks the stereotype, with vineyards and cantina as clean as a whistle, as neat as a pin."
"No modernist, Castellani makes his wines generally in traditional styles, but he's not afraid to experiment, either, whether it's bending the conventional wisdom by filtering his Recioto or breaking it entirely with such unusual but intriguing efforts as blending Corvina with dried passito-style Cabernet Sauvignon or even with Primitivo. Even the winery's production area mingles the old and the new: his extensive grape-drying area uses modern plastic baskets in place of the ancient wicker, and mobilizes high-tech aluminum fans to maintain a cool, dry environment that won't foster rot - a new approach to a traditional technique."
