Visits to two producers in Veneto today, and there couldn't have been a bigger contrast in the experiences.
At Giuseppi Quintarelli we tasted:
2006 Valpolicella Classico Superiore
2002 Rosso del Bepi
2004 Amarone Classico
2003 Amarone Riserva
2005 Alzero
2001 Recioto Della Valpolicella
And at Michele Castellani we tasted:
2011 Valpolicella Classico Superiore i Castei
2010 Sergio Rosso Veronese
2005 Amarone i Castei Campo Caselin
At Quintarelli, we were first greeted by Fiorenze, Giuseppe's daughter and current proprietor. She had her son, Francesco, give us the tour and tasting, since he speaks English better than she does. Francesco was gracious, warm and incredibly informative. What a treat to tour the entire facility, even while it's under extensive renovation.
Meanwhile, Mara Castellani, Michele's daughter, was cool and fairly dismissive - and she chewed gum through the entire tasting (which lasted perhaps 15 minutes). Then she left us to do our own self-guided "tour" of the cellars. Weird.