Amarone

The Carafe Is the Way To Go!

First rule of thumb in Italy....everything in the carafe is delicious!

IF you will be drinking wine with lunch, appetizers, dinner and beyond be sure to stick with the carafe of house wine (vino della casa).  It is always delicious and it has approx 10% alcohol compared to a bottle which is around 13%...I have learned this the hard way. 

As a side note, many red wines in the states are in the 14.5% range...ouch!  I remembered that the hard way when I got back from Italy!

No hangover stories but definitely share your vino della casa experiencesJ

Ahhhhhh, Amarone…

My absolute FAVORITE varietal (today) is grown in Northern Italy, Amarone della Valpolicella or Amarone for short.  In the states, Amorone is incredibly expensive so we don't have the opportunity to drink it as often as we would like BUT in Italy it is inexpensive and gorgeous!  In Italy, Amorone is the fourth biggest seller behind Chianti, Asti, and Soave.

Amarone is made with grapes that have been dried on racks for at least four months.  This brings out the beautiful flavors of dried fruit and tobacco, creates the deep color and and increases the sugar.  The selection process for the grapes is done by hand then bunches are placed in a single layer.   I have heard that the smell in the drying rooms is amazing (next trip)!  Have any of you experienced this pleasure?

In the winter, the grapes are pressed and fermentation begins. After fermentation Amarone is aged for at least two years in wooden barrels. They can sell Amarone three years after harvest but many wineries follow old tradition and leave the Amarone in barrels for five or more years. The result is a gorgeous structure, a sultry, silky mouth feel, garnate in color and a wine that can be kept in your cellar for over 20 years.  But lucky for us,  Amarone can be drunk young as well!

Ripasso???

A new one for me, Ripasso. 

Ripasso means 'revision'.  It is the technique used by Valpolicella winemakers to enrich the normal Valpolicella wine with the flavors of the Amarone.

Grapes are vinified soon after harvest to make the Valpolicella. In the winter, the  Valpolicella wine is put on the grape skins left at the end of the Amarone making process.  The flavor of the Amarone is imparted to the Valpolicella.

While there are slight variations in the method, the result is pretty much the same … Ripasso Valpolicella is a medium bodied wine with a beautiful flavor intensity.   More interesting than a Valpolicella, not quite as brilliant as an Amarone but priced well.   

Why not stick with Amarone?  Well, a bottle of Amarone will run you $50 and up so Ripasso is a great option at under $20.

Got a favorite Ripasso?  Amarone?  Valpolicella?