Every year I attend Vin Italy, I get excited and come back and share my experiences with my family and friends. There is one experience I’ve never written about and I feel bad I’ve never shared this with everyone.

Most wineries in the Veneto region are known for their Valpolicella and Amarone. There is one winery that stands apart from the others, the owner, Fausto Maculan is noted for his Bordeaux Blend. His signature wine is Fratta, an incredible wine consisting of sixty-eight percent Cabernet grapes and thirty-two percent merlot. It sounds crazy that an Italian would produce a Bordeaux blend wine in the Veneto, let alone produce one that is on par with some of the great French Chateau’s.

This year I had the distinct pleasure of a blind tasting of the 2001 Mouton Rothschild along with the 2001 Fratta. I couldn’t believe the similarities in flavor profiles, only because I happen to love Fratta and drink it semi-regularly was I able to distinguish the difference. My friend who was traveling with me, thought the Mouton was the Fratta. His amazement at my selection was rather comical. He couldn’t believe I was able to tell the two wines apart. It was that similar on the nose and palette.

Maculan is one of those wineries that works seamlessly between tradition and modern technology. The winery is fairly new and yet has a distinct old feel to it. I think that having his two daughters involved in the winery is a perfect bridge for Maculan, it takes the forward approach to wine making Maculan utilizes and combines it with a modern style and adds a vibrancy to the winery that is unmistakable.

I tend to gush on about Fratta, only because I fell in love with this wine about four years ago, what I haven’t mentioned is the Pinot Toi IGT white blend Maculan makes, or the red dessert wine, Madoro that is a true gem, perfect for an incredible finish to any great evening.

Finally, I want to close with the fact that Fausto Maculan and his family throw an incredible barbecue every year during Vin Italy, I’ve had the privilege of attending the last four years. During this party, Fausto taps a barrique of the new vintage of Fratta and hands everyone attending a bottle so they can bottle, cork and seal their own wine to take home as a souvenir. This generosity in itself is truly unparalleled, the reality is this is done out of pride. Fausto Maculan is a man committed to making amazing wine and is prepared to put his money where his mouth is. After my blind tasting this year, I’m sold. Treat yourself sometime and you’ll understand how truly wonderful these wines are.

Dick Varano