CONSORZIO TUTELA VINI VALPOLICELLA

It is very difficult to talk about the territory and the wines of Valpolicella in just a few words. We will let numbers speak for themselves: 3 main vine species (Corvina, Rondinella and Molinara), 5 communes in the classic DOC area (Negrar, Marano, Fumane, Sant’Ambrogio, San Pietro in Cariano), 1 sub-area (Valpantena) 4 valleys between the beautiful hills of the “extended” DOC area (Marcellise, Mezzane, Illasi and Tramigna) but, above all, 5 wines of absolute, world-renowned value: Valpolicella, Superiore, Ripasso, Amarone and Recioto. Lets talk about the grapes: they are all local and very well integrated in the territory. The main variety is undoubtedly the Corvina species (with the so-called Corvinone variant), perfect both for traditional wine making and for dried grape wines. The other two, Rondinella and Molinara, are the Queen’s maids. Valpolicella is born from traditional wine making using a blend of these three grapes of which Corvina is the main one. The result is a red wine that immediately reveals its features, having a good alcohol content and good capacity of preservation. To enjoy it to the full it must be drunk young. If it is produced in the area of the 5 communes it can boast the “Classico” name on its label. If we climb up the ladder to the Pantheon of wines, we will find the Valpolicella Superiore wine first, featuring the same blend of grapes used for the Valpolicella wine: it is distinguished by a higher alcohol content and a more powerful and rounded flavour. According to the wine making regulations, it must be aged for at least one year. This is already an important, full-bodied wine, and we’re not even half way up the ladder yet. We cannot talk about the next wine, Ripasso, without introducing Amarone first. It is obtained by using grapes that are dried in special rooms called “fruttai”. The nice thing about Amarone is that, although it is “technically” a wine made from dried grapes, it is still a dry wine. Its special fermentation makes it transform almost all its sugar into alcohol so that it naturally achieves a very high alcohol content. It is one of the most famous and prominent of Italian red wines and is perfect to serve with just as important dishes such as red meets and very mature cheeses. After drawing off the wine, the Amarone pressed grape skins (still full of substance) are put back into the Valpolicella wine to create the “Ripasso”, a wine that reminds one of the bouquets of Amarone but which has a less demanding structure and body. Last but not least, the Recioto wine: an extraordinarily powerful, both in terms of its aroma and taste, dried grape, red wine. It is obtained after having dried the grapes for a long time, after slow fermentation and after almost endless aging in barrels. The result is a product with the wonderful fragrance of ripe red fruit, sweet and endlessly lingering on the palate.
5 wines, 5 great red wines! In brief, perhaps this is the best way to talk about Valpolicella.