What grapes are used in Valpolicella?

The four distinct styles of Valpolicella wine are unusual in that all are made from the same short list of native grapes: Corvina, Rondinella, Corvinone, and Molinara. Rarer still, all four wines are produced throughout the region.

What is the main grape variety used in the wines of Valpolicella DOC?

The valley also produces white wines – both dry and sweet – under the various Soave titles. The grape varieties used to make Valpolicella are Corvina, Corvinone, Rondinella and Molinara. Corvina is generally regarded as the finest of the three, and is certainly the most traditional.

What is so special about the grapes in Amarone?

It easily grows all over the Valpolicella territory. It has dark colored, relatively small and round berries. Bunches are usually not too big and loosley packed which makes this Amarone grape varietal perfect for the drying process.

What is the main grape in Amarone?

Amarone della Valpolicella is made with local grapes Corvina, Corvinone, Rondinella (and often also with addition small amounts of other red not aromatic varieties recommended or authorized for the province of Verona) generally picked (barring anomalous weather conditions) between the last ten days of September and the …

Should you chill Valpolicella?

Chilling the Recioto della Valpolicella by Allegrini is a slightly different take on the idea – it’s got residual sugar so it is sweeter, and it’s full bodied. But on a hot day, it works really nicely when it’s chilled down. Traditionally, you serve it with dessert but it can work well as an aperitif too.

What grapes are used to make Valpolicella wine?

Most of the wines produced under the Valpolicella DOC are red and usually contain a sizable amount of the area’s most distinguished grape, Corvina. Other grapes used in the production of Valpolicella wine most often include Rondinella and Corvinone, but also Molinara, Rossignola, Negrara, Barbera,…

What is Valpolicella used for?

The Valpolicella Blend is most commonly used to produce dry table wine, but may also be used to make sweet, semi-sweet and even sparkling wines. The most famous variation of dry Valpolicella is Amarone, where the appassimento method of semi-drying grapes is used to craft rich, and often sweet, wines of great concentration.

Where is the Valpolicella region in Italy?

Wine regions. The Valpolicella zone is bordered to the west by the Bardolino DOC, located along the banks of Lake Garda, which produces similar wines to basic Valpolicella using many of the same grapes. The historical “heart” of Valpolicella winemaking is in the Monti Lessini hills located northwest of the town of Verona.

What makes Amarone della Valpolicella DOCG so special?

The Amarone della Valpolicella DOCG is a unique wine due to its wine making process, after the grapes are picked, they are dried for what is normally a period of around 120 days, process called appassimento, with the aim of concentrating the sugar. The most immediate result of this process is wines with higher alcohol content and enhanced flavours.

How is Recioto della Valpolicella made?

Recioto della Valpolicella is an intensely flavored, sweet red wine made from dried (passito) grapes in the Veneto region of north-eastern Italy. When the drying process is complete, the grapes are gently pressed and the must is fermented until it reaches the desired balance of alcoholic strength and sweetness.

Is Valpolicella fruity?

It is the most popular wine style in the region. A Valpolicella DOC wine is much more affordable than other Italian wines and costs less than $20 for a bottle. These novello style wines (wines made to be drunk young) have a classic Beaujolais Nouveau texture – light, fresh and fruity.

What grapes are used in Amarone della Valpolicella?

What is the difference between Amarone and Recioto?

Recioto wines retain sugar content at the end of fermentation, which gives them their signature sweetness – starting at around 50g/l residual sugar and upwards. Amarone wines will be fermented to a drier style. Some will reach double figures on the residual sugar, but many will be down around 5g/l to 7g/l.

How do you drink a Recioto?

The Recioto is an excellent dessert wine, that goes perfectly with the cakes of the Veronese tradition (such as the pandoro and the panettone), but can also be served with soft cheese varieties. It is best to uncork the bottle an hour before pouring it and to serve it in large glasses called ballon.

Is Valpolicella a good wine?

This is the perfect summer wine, a fresh, light bodied, easy drinking red wine, which you might even serve slightly chilled. If you’re looking for an easy drinking, fresh, light bodied red wine that’s a step up in quality look for the “Classico” term.

Is Valpolicella dry or sweet?

Both of these full-bodied Italian red wines can be rich in flavour and have the Corvina grape at their heart, but Amarone is dry, or off-dry in taste, while Recioto della Valpolicella is sweet.