Valpolicella wines
Valpolicella has been a famous wine region since Roman times.
In the DOC Valpolicella, four different types of wine can be made from corvina grapes, molinara grapes, and rondinella grapes. In order from light to heavier wines these are: Valpolicella, Valpolicella Superiore, Amarone and Recioto. Many industrial wines are made in this region, but there are still many beautiful wines to be found.
Information about the area
The Valpolicella is a strip of approximately 40 kilometers in northern Italy, east of Lake Garda. It is slightly above the city of Verona. In the north we find the best vineyards of the area in the hills (600 meters). In addition, the cooling wind from Lake Garda plays an important role. It ensures a slow maturation. This ultimately delivers the refined aromas of the grapes. The most northwestern part of Valpolicella has the most optimal conditions for viticulture and is therefore called the Classico zone. The classico area is the original zone of the Valpolicella in the heart of the current DOC that was established in 1968. At present, only half of all Valpolicella is produced in this area.
The grapes
The Valpolicella wine is made from the corvina Veronese grapes, the rondinella and the molinara. These grapes must make up at least 85% of the wine. Optionally the wine can be supplemented with the grapes rossignola, negrara, trentina, barbera or sangiovese. These secondary grape varieties may make up to 15% of the wine.
Color, odor and taste
The wines of Valpolicella were already praised in Roman times. The great poet Vilentius, for example, was a great lover of Valpolicella wine. The fame of the wine has not diminished since then. The wines are light ruby red in color, tending to intense garnet red as they age. The scent is fresh, fruity and sometimes a little spicy. The taste is dry, velvety, fruity, slightly spicy. The corvina grape gives Valpolicella a slightly bitter cherry flavor. The best wines also have a dry, circus-like nuance that is traditionally associated with the soil of the “Classico” area. The variations on the Valpolicella theme are furthermore dependent on the secondary grape varieties in the blend and the choice of the vessels. The French barriques with their clear aromas of toast and vanilla have become more popular these days.
The regular Valpolicella wine
The majority of the Valpolicella wine is the normal wine or also the Valpolicella Classico. This is a light red, not too heavy wine with a bouquet that reminds you of cherries and has a slightly bitter aftertaste. Many wine connoisseurs call it watery, pale wines with little character.
Valpolicella Superiore
Valpolicella Superiore is theoretically also from undried grapes, but it is often reinforced with a second fermentation (fermentation) on the grape peels left over from Amarone, or simply with a dash of Amarone wine. The Valpolicelle Superiore therefore also has a slightly higher alcohol content.
Amarone wine
In addition to the standard wine and the Superiore, there are some traditional Valpolicella’s with a high-octane content, made from grapes dried on straw mats. Amarone is a counterpart of the Recioto (see below) but is not sweet but dry. These wines have much more fruit than the regular wines. Amarone is reminiscent of bitter chocolate in the aftertaste. The fruit in the Amarone is very characteristic. The oxidative character of these wines will appeal less to fans of clean, clear flavors, but the quality of the amarone is beyond dispute. The wine is ideal for maturing.
Recioto
Recioto is a silky version that looks like port, while Amarone is fermented to complete dryness, has a very different alcohol percentage (often 15% to 16% without addition) and is almost painfully bitter – the name comes from the Italian word bitter, amaro.
Valpolicella Ripasso
Valpolicella Ripasso is a kind of intermediate form, an ordinary Valpolicella made from the skins of the grapes used for Amarone or Recioto. We can translate Valpolicella Ripasso with something of “double drawn”. This type of wine has existed in Veneto for a long time. The best young Valpolicella is thrown into barrels where the recioto has matured. The residual lees of the recioto contain active yeast cells that ensure a second fermentation. This increases the alcohol content and gives the wine something of the character of recioto.
Producers
Quintarelli is named as the best producer followed by Allegrini. Other producers are: Tedeschi, Masi, Le Ragose, Dal Forno.