“Fratefoco” is born, the wine that celebrates Gabriele d’Annunzio on the 160th anniversary of his birth

His biographers claim that Gabriele d’Annunzio was a teetotaler, or nearly so; however, seeing a label dedicated to him would have certainly tickled his vanity and self-esteem, two important aspects of his personality. To celebrate 160 years since the birth of the Poet, an undisputed protagonist of literature, but also of Italian history of the twentieth century, “Fratefoco” arrives, the limited edition wine produced by Domìni Veneti, a premium brand of Cantina Valpolicella Negrar, in collaboration with the Foundation Il Vittoriale degli Italiani, chaired by Giordano Bruno Guerri. A Valpolicella Ripasso Doc Classico Superiore with an intense aroma and full-bodied flavour, and a retro-flavored label featuring a sepia-toned portrait of the Poet and his elegant and unmistakable signature.
The initiative is to tell the story of Gabriele d’Annunzio in an unconventional way: obtained through the refermentation of fresh Valpolicella with the pomace of Recioto (therefore naturally sensual and at the same time pure and authentic, as a Ripasso must be), “Fratefoco” narrates the mystical contemplation of a man confined within the walls of his home, the Prioria al Vittoriale, which burns with the most earthly passions. A tribute to the poet’s taste for pseudonyms and literary disguises: “Fratefoco” is, in fact, one of the “noms de plume” that d’Annunzio used to sign letters intended for friends and lovers, as evidenced by the priceless documents consulted in the Vittoriale archives by Michele Battistoni, project creative director and winery marketing manager. This, built between 1921 and 1938 by order of Gabriele d’Annunzio, is one of the most visited museums in Italy. Even today this monumental citadel built in Gardone Riviera, on the shores of Lake Garda - in memory of the “inimitable life” of the poet-soldier and the exploits of the Italians during the First World War - remains a more lively place than ever, visited every year not only by students and tourists, but also by scholars and intellectuals who frequent its archives, and by artists of international standing who have graced the open-air stage of its amphitheatre, or who wanted to celebrate the Abruzzo poet by donating works of art which today adorn the avenues, squares and views of the lake.
Gabriele d’Annunzio, a poet, writer, soldier, aesthete, and highly refined dandy was a prominent figure in Italian history: author of famous works - among all his best-known novel, “Il Piacere”, and the collection of poems “Alcyone” - in the second part of his life he became the protagonist of numerous war and military actions, including the famous Beffa di Buccari or the Fiume exploit. His figure, for a long time erroneously associated with Fascism, has recently been rediscovered and reinterpreted in a new light, thanks in part to the research of historians such as Giordano Bruno Guerri, who has written several books on the Poet and has led the Il Vittoriale degli Italiani Foundation since 2008.
“We are honoured that Giordano Bruno Guerri recognised Domni Veneti as the producer of excellence and the ideal interlocutor for the creation of “Fratefoco”, which is not only a high-end wine but also the expression of a great wine culture”, says Renzo Bighignoli, president of Cantina Valpolicella Negrar. “Fratefoco”, a limited edition product, is available at the Domìni Veneti wine shops in Sirmione, Cavaion Veronese, Negrar di Valpolicella and a selection of restaurants, wine bars and historic shops on the Garda coast of Brescia. It is only the latest project, in chronological order, by Domìni Veneti, a brand born in 1989 as a work of premiumisation ante litteram of part of the production of Cantina Valpolicella Negrar. Research, study, and experimentation are the cornerstones of a path shared with the territory that led to zoning, first within the Negrar Valley, to which the Domni Veneti portfolio is dedicated, and later extended to the five Valpolicella Valleys Classic. Accompanying this journey is a continuous, in-depth and passionate study of the drying techniques of the three native varieties par excellence - Corvina, Corvinone, Rondinella - in the Valpolicella Negrar winery, owner of one of the largest “fruit makers” in Italy. Today Domìni Veneti, whose name evokes the territories and glories of the ancient Republic of Venice, of which Valpolicella was an integral part, composes a proposal faithfully centered on the great Veronese reds, Amarone and Ripasso first and foremost, and Recioto, with wines from sartorial refinements, which have become ambassadors of quality Italian wine in the world.