Le Speziali di Daniela Stucchi

Le Speziali was born in August 2015 to sell wines and spirits, and especially produce and sell Claretum, a medieval spiced wine made following a recipe from the late 1400s found in a historical document kept in Aosta.

Claretum, which was famous throughout medieval Europe, is an ancient drink based on sweetened and heavily spiced white wine.

Its passion for the culinary arts and for history led Le Speziali to search the recipe for Claretum in ancient original documents of the fifteenth century. When they found it, they recreated the recipe to bring the history of that period back to life through its flavours. Claretum is mentioned in a historical document of the end of 1400 belonging to the Challant family, a powerful Valdostan noble family, who ruled much of the Valle d'Aosta on behalf of the Savoys during the Middle Ages and the Renaissance.

The document, dating back to George of Challant, describes how Claretum was prepared for the Canons Regular of Sant'Orso Aosta where the he was its commendatory prior.

Claretum, registered trademark, is a sweet white wine, flavoured with spices, with a crystalline golden yellow appearance.

The nose is very intense and persistent, with hints of rose, cinnamon and black pepper; the flavour is sweet, fresh and mellow, the taste is enveloping and very persistent.Alcohol content: 16% vol.

It is produced following traditional methods and contains no artificial flavourings or colouring. Spices are added to the wine by infusion.

In the Middle Ages it was served at the beginning and the end of meals. Nowadays it makes a good aperitif, either straight or with ice, shaken or stirred. It can also be served at the end of the meal as a dessert or sipping wine. Claretum is the perfect accompaniment for blue cheese such as gorgonzola, Bleu d'Aoste, Fontina, Arnad DOP Lard or dark chocolate, cakes made with chestnut flour, Piata or Micoula (Vadostan cakes made with wholemeal bread, butter, apples, nuts and raisins).

It can also be used as an original ingredient in many cocktails and recipes.

Le Speziali is a project that arose from a passion for food and for history: through the rediscovery of ancient flavours and facts, it aims to promote culture, traditions and awareness of the links between history and food and wine.