Foradori “Granato” Teroldego 2023

The Land

Most serious Italian reds come from hillsides, but Teroldego's finest expression grows on a flat valley floor. Campo Rotaliano is an alluvial plain in the northern Adige Valley, built up over centuries by gravel and sediment carried down by the Noce River. Foradori's original estate vineyard sits on a sunny, well-drained plateau within that plain, sandy and stony with a base of Dolomitic limestone. Rocky mountain walls ring the plain, blocking cold northern winds and radiating heat back into the vines, while breezes off the Val di Non keep the canopy healthy. It is an unusual site for age-worthy red wine, flat and open rather than hillside, and it produces some of Trentino's most serious Teroldego.

The Wine

100% Teroldego from Foradori's original Campo Rotaliano vineyard, fermented in large open vats and aged 24 months in oak, bottled without filtration, handled with the light touch that defines every Foradori red. Granato translates to garnet in Italian, but the name is really a nod to the pomegranate, melograno, the ancient Mediterranean fruit Elisabetta Foradori has always associated with this wine's bright, juicy, tannic character. 2023 brought real disease pressure to Trentino, with wet stretches early in the season and heatwaves later on, but the fruit that made it through careful sorting came out fruit-forward and precise, with juicy acidity. Expect a ruby red color, cherry and blackberry fruit with a light touch of oak spice, and a broad, mineral-driven palate carrying through a long, structured finish.

The People

Elisabetta Foradori took over her father's estate in Campo Rotaliano in 1984 at 19 years old, inheriting a variety that was falling out of favor. Growers were selling Teroldego in bulk to co-ops or ripping it out for Pinot Grigio and Merlot. She replanted with massal selection instead of clones, cut yields, and rebuilt Teroldego's reputation from the ground up, releasing the first Granato in 1986 as a direct argument for what the grape could do. The estate's 28 hectares have been certified biodynamic since 2002. In 2009 she began experimenting with terracotta amphorae for parts of the range, but Granato has stayed true to its original oak-aged style, the flagship built from her oldest, most selected Teroldego vines.

Food Pairing

Granato has the structure for slow-cooked, savory food. Try it with braised venison shoulder, a mushroom and juniper risotto, grilled lamb sausages with polenta, or aged Trentingrana cheese. Its mineral edge and firm tannin cut through fat and richness, while the dark fruit holds up to game and roasted meats without getting lost. This is a wine built for a cold-weather table, not a quick weeknight pour.