This year marks a 30-year milestone for esteemed Tuscan winery, Carpineto, producer of Carpineto and Dogajolo wines in Greve, Chianti, with the 30th anniversary of Dogajolo. According to the winery, “Dogajolo (pronounced (Dog-ay-yolo) was launched in 1993 by Giancarlo Sacchet and Antonio Zaccheo Sr. of Carpineto, following a special request made by the founder of Jacques’ Wein Depot during a meeting at the Vinitaly Wine Fair in Verona, over 30 years ago. Jacques stated that the Carpineto’s DOC and ‘Super Tuscan’ wines were very much appreciated by his German clientele, but due to their higher price points, these delicious wines were only consumed on weekends, yet the Germans love to drink wine every day. He asked the winery to produce a wine that would have the characteristics of an aged wine, but with the food pairing flexibility to accompany casual mid-week dinners.”
“Carpineto rose to the challenge by producing a young Super Tuscan wine, an IGT, from its young vineyards planted to mostly Sangiovese with some Cabernet Sauvignon, which would then spend about 6 months in oak barrels. The young vineyards, the rapid passage in oak and a release within the year after harvest, meant that this wine could be offered at an everyday price. Thus, a new style of wine was born that combined the deep colors of a young wine and the wood-aged elegance associated with more mature wines. The Sacchet and Zaccheo families named this new wine Dogajolo Toscano Rosso derived from the Italian word Doga, meaning ‘stave’ (the narrow strips of wood used to build wine barrels), and created an artistic imagery of oak leaves for the label inspired by the local Farnia oak variety, which turn color in the fall at the same time the wine goes into barrels. Dogajolo Toscano Rosso instantly became a runaway success.”
“This is a momentous year as we proudly celebrate 30 years of our signature Dogajolo Toscano Rosso” said Antonio Michael Zaccheo Jr, the second generation of the Zaccheo family managing the Carpineto winery.
I recently had the pleasure of tasting Carpineto Dogajolo Rosso Toscana IGT 2020, which sells for a mere $14.99. It’s a wonderfully economical young “Super-Tuscan” made from Sangiovese, Cabernet and some other varietals resulting in a very unique young, powerful wine that, through aging in small wooden casks are given balance and elegance – surprisingly elegance for a 15-buck wine. This fruity red is versatile enough to pair with foods like roast chicken, ham or pork, but would work best with bigger, bolder cuisine such as grilled meats and roasts. I think it would be awesome with osso bucco or braciole.
