If you’re lucky enough to take over the reins of a family wine business – whatever shape it’s in – you have a head start over your peers. Self-starters who lack this advantage face a steeper hill to climb.
Now think about climbing that hill as a woman in a male-dominated industry. That’s the story of Angela Velenosi, owner of Velenosi Ascoli Piceno in Le Marche, Italy.
Angela and Ercole Velenosi started the company in 1984 with no capital, land, or knowledge of the wine industry. They applied for both bank credit and European funds that helped young entrepreneurs in the agricultural sector. The biggest assistance was given by the European Union, which financed and still finances many agricultural development projects, and a part of these funds are given as non-repayable. Thanks to this assistance they were able to buy the equipment and machinery needed to produce their first vintage.
Angela Velenosi was all of 20 years old at the time.
From one house, about 23 acres of vines, two wines, and little technology, the company has grown to include two family-owned wineries, more than 350 acres of vineyards in Le Marche, and more than 208,000 cases of wine produced annually today. In 2017, Velenosi acquired about 40 acres in the Controguerra region of neighboring Abruzzo.
For the last 20 years, Angela Velenosi has run the business on her own with help from her daughter and son. She is one of the few women to be named president of an Italian wine consortium.
How did she do it?
As her company states, “with lots of passion, energy, and a will to learn from her own experiences and mistakes.”
I was lucky enough to taste four Velenosi wines during the 2020 Wine Media Conference virtual summit. Please note that while the wines for this post were provided, opinions are my own.
Have you heard of Le Marche?
Tuscany, Veneto, and Piedmont are well-known and well-traveled Italian wine regions. Lesser-known and largely unspoiled Le Marche (pronounced “lay markay”) lies between the Apennine Mountains and the Adriatic Sea on the eastern side of central Italy, across from Tuscany. Le Marche produces just a quarter of what Tuscany and Piedmont turn out, respectively, and only a tenth of Veneto’s output.
But don’t discount Le Marche.
The region consists of 15 Denominazione di Origine Controllata (DOC) wine regions – Bianchello del Metauro, Colli Maceratesi, Colli Pesaresi, Esino, Falerio, Lacrima di Morro or Lacrima di Morro d’Alba, Pergola, Rosso Conero, Rosso Piceno, San Ginesio, Serrapetrona, Terre di Offida, Terreni di San Severino, Verdicchio dei Castelli di Jesi, and Verdicchio di Matelica – and five Denominazione di Origine Controllata e Garantita (DOCG) regions, including Conero, Castelli di Jesi Verdicchio Riserva, Offida, Verdicchio di Matelica Riserva, and Vernaccia di Serrapetrona.
Various microclimates, ranging from continental in the northern part of the region to Mediterranean near the sea, allow for cultivation of a range of grape varieties. Soils are a mix of clay, silt, and sand.
Velenosi Ascoli Piceno is located in the historic city of Ascoli Piceno, about 12.4 miles from the sea and at an altitude of 500 to 650 feet above sea level. Vineyards extend among the hills that surround the Tronto river valley.
A Velenosi wine tasting
The first three Velenosi wines profiled below are great value for price, if you can find them. Roggio Del Filare, the fourth, is worth buying to cellar.
2019 Querciantica Verdicchio dei Castelli di Jesi DOC Classico
100% Verdicchio
Jancis Robinson calls Verdicchio “the Chablis from Italy” because of its aging potential. Vineyards are located in the oldest areas of the Castelli di Jesi. Soil is medium-textured silt and clay, with a small percentage of sand. Slightly overripe, hand-picked grapes are fermented three to four months at a low temperature sur lies (over the spent yeast cells) in stainless steel tanks.
My tasting notes: Straw in color with a greenish hue. I get lemon-lime, melon, and a hint of grassiness on the nose, following by lime, grassiness, and a good amount of minerality on a creamy palate. Medium+ acidity. Medium+ finish. Alcohol: 13%. Wine.com price: $18.99
Recommended pairings: Risotto, vegetables au gratin, grilled salmon. This wine tends to overpower light-weight fish.
2018 Querciantica Lacrima di Morro D’Alba
100% Lacrima di Morro D’Alba
“Lacrima” in Italian means “tear” – the skin of the grape is so delicate that it pops when ripe and a drop of juice falls. Lacrima di Morro D’Alba, an ancient grape native to Le Marche, is often called “red Gewurtztraminer” because both grapes are highly aromatic. Vineyards are located on mainly clay soil. Grapes are fermented for 20 days in stainless steel only.
My tasting notes: Deep ruby red in color with a purplish rim. Intense flowery aromas (lavender, violets, roses) and ripe cherry hit the nose. The palate reminds me of a baked cherry tart, but with minerality. Medium acidity. Medium+ finish. Soft tannins. Best to serve this wine chilled. Alcohol: 12.5%. Wine.com price: $18.99.
Recommended pairings: Indian, Chinese, and Thai foods. Excellent with roasted corn and honey soy glazed salmon (Note: I cut the honey in half to make sure the sauce wasn’t too sweet for the wine).
2017 Brecciarolo Rosso Piceno DOC Superiore
70% Montepulciano, 30% Sangiovese
This wine is named after the hill where the first Veloni winery was built. Vineyards are located on clay and limestone soils. The two varieties are fermented separately for about 20 days and aged in used (neutral) barriques for 10 to 12 months.
My tasting notes: Deep ruby red in color. Raspberry and black cherry aromas with a hint of fennel on the nose. On the palate, I get black cherry and sour cherry with a sprinkle of black pepper on a medium finish. Medium+ acidity. Drink this easy-going wine now. Alcohol: 13.5%. Wine.com price: $18.99.
Recommend pairings: Spaghetti and meatballs, grilled meat, pizza, medium-aged cheese.
2015 Roggio Del Filare Rosso Piceno DOC Superiore
70% Montepulciano, 30% Sangiovese
This “big brother” to Brecciarolo is Velenosi’s flagship, award-winning wine. While the varieties are the same as those used in Brecciarolo, the Roggio Del Filare grapes are from 50-year-old vines located in mostly sand at a higher elevation. Slightly overripe grapes spend a long time (28 days) macerating on their skins before aging in new French barriques for 18 months.
My tasting notes: Deep ruby red in color. A fruity nose full of dark cherry and blackberry, followed by more dark cherry and a hint of sour cherry on the palate. Medium+ acidity. Peppery, medium+ finish. Well-integrated but a bit tannic now; would benefit from holding a few years. Alcohol: 14.5%. Wine.com price: $54.99.
Recommended pairings: Pot roast, venison stew, charcuterie, salami, aged cheeses. Blended beautifully with a salami and cheddar cheese antipasto.