We witnessed a heroic victory yesterday, as wily veteran Richard Carapaz attacked the peloton on a vicious climb. As he scampered away from the group, where he had sat quietly all day, the GC contenders and their mates looked quizzically at each other, waiting for someone to make a move.

No takers.

Carapaz, who rides for EF Education First, is a former winner of the Giro. He’s also won an Olympic gold medal. And did I mention he’s a beast of a climber? He rode himself into sixth place overall, putting the top ten riders on notice.

Check out the highlights:

What’s Happening on Thursday?

Expect a sprint finish after a long day of slight undulations on the road. In fact, the two subsequent stages follow the same pattern: the sprinters should be happy for the next few days!

Valtènesi DOC

Located near Brescia, along the shores of Lake Garda, Valtènesi has always had a thriving agricultural and viticultural scene. In addition to grapes, you will find olives, lemons, and cereal crops nearby.

Among the primary varieties used to make Chiaretto (rosé) are native grapes Groppello and Marzemino. Groppello makes light, fresh wines with delicate fruit and spice aromas. Marzemino is intensely pigmented and lively aromas of cherry, berry, and citrus. They complement each other, creating a well-balanced wine with ripe, juicy fruit flavors balanced by tart acidity. Chiaretto Valtènesi just might be the perfect warm-weather wine!

Not long ago I had the chance to sample several wines from this DOC at the Slow Wine USA event. Most were from the current vintage, but I did taste one from 2019! Its fruit profile had evolved into concentrated flavors of dried berry-cherry, and it offered up more savory notes. However, it was still youthful, with lots of energy on the palate.

So, as you stock your wine fridge for the summer season, keep an eye out for the lovely wines of Chiaretto Valtènesi DOC. After all, who doesn’t need a quick trip to Italy?

Back tomorrow with more wine and Giro news . . .