Romancing the Menu: Valpolicella, Classic Lasagna and “Letters to Juliet”

When was the last time you poured a glass of Valpolicella? For me, it was just last week when I opened a bottle of Albino Armani Valpolicella DOC Ripasso Classico Superiore 2018 (sent as a sample). I indulged in this beautiful wine with dinner featuring my mother’s classic lasagna while I watched a 2010 movie, Letters from Juliet, on Amazon Prime Video. A perfect night of Italian wine and food, schmaltzy romance and dreams of Italy was had.

Valpolicella comes from Verona where the story of Romeo and Juliet originated and I wasn’t the only wine aficionado to experience this Italian wine while watching the movie, by the way. My Italian Food, Wine Travel (#ItalianFWT) colleagues decided to pair their favorite Valpolicella with dinner or snack as they, too, took a virtual trip to Verona. For their articles, see below.

Are you ready to recreate the experience? Before the movie begins open a bottle of Valpolicella. The wine I sipped, Albino Armani Valpolicella DOC Ripasso Classico Superiore 2018 ($23) is a blend of Corvina, Rondinella and Corvinone. Alta Valpolicella Classico, where the native Italian varieties are cultivated, is of high altitude and has a natural amphitheater configuration with lengthy exposure to the sun during the day and winds from the mountains each evening. On the intense nose and decadent palate, I found rich blackberries, ripe black cherries, eucalyptus, dark chocolate and spice. Balanced with optimal acidity and integrated tannins, the finish was fruit-forward and incredibly long.

This wine has become a classic with our homemade lasagna, but its rich flavors also complement a variety of aged cheeses, a hearty pasta with meat, baked ziti, a favorite pizza, steak, burgers or lamb chops.

Push “play” for Letters from Juliet starring Amanda Seyfried as Sophie, Vanessa Redgrave as Claire, Christopher Egan as Charlie and Franco Nero as Lorenzo. Sophie travels with her chef-fiancé to Verona as a “pre-wedding-honeymoon.” Not particularly inspired by the romance of Verona, her fiancé leaves Sophie on her own as he explores cuisine and more in preparation for opening his own restaurant in New York. Sophie, who has always dreamed of becoming a writer, meets the “Secretaries of Juliet,” ladies who respond to every letter left at the balcony where Shakespeare’s character Juliet stood. She joins them and by accident, finds an unanswered 1957 letter by Claire Smith. Sophie answers the letter and a week later, Claire arrives in Verona with her dashing grandson, Charlie who isn’t at all impressed by Sophie.

Without giving the entire story away, one event leads to another. With Sophie’s help, Claire looks for her long-lost love, Lorenzo Bartolini. I’m guessing you already know how the movie will end. For more, click here to see the film’s trailer.