About Valpolicella Wines
After Chianti, Valpolicella has been the best known red wine from Italy for decades, and also follows it in terms of volume production. In many respects Valpolicella is the red equivalent of Soave, which soared to fame in the 1980s, and has had a turbulent journey, with the same highs and lows as Soave regarding quality and style. There are some outstanding wines from Valpolicella, there are some bad ones.
What is Valpolicella?
It is by far the most important and largest production red wine from Veneto, well ahead of the other well known red of the region, Bardolino, which really came to fame in the 70s. However, both these wines have fallen slightly off the radar recently, with the new wave of varietal wines from Veneto, and also the growing popularity of Southern Italian and Sicilian reds eating into consumers' appetite for something new.
Located in North-Eastern Italy, the vineyards stretch north of Verona for about 10 miles, and border Soave and Bardolino. The climate here is cool and continental (hot, glorious summers, but foggy, freezing cold winters), especially compared to the general view of Italy we have. In wine, this tends to produce lighter styles of red. And yet, within this context the Valpolicella region manages to produce one of the biggest, boldest Italian reds of all, Amarone della Valpolicella!
Just like Soave, there is a smaller designated area, within Valpolicella, which produces the higher quality and quite often outstanding Valpolicella Classico, from vineyards situated on the steep hills north of Verona. Going even deeper you can find Valpolicella Valpantena which comes exclusively from the Valpantena valley. The Valpantena sub-region, produces some of the top Valpolicellas, due to its tighter yield and production controls, sunnier location, and good soils. It lies just north east of Verona, and is highly regarded for its racy, fruit driven, yet nervy reds.
Valpolicella is produced from 4 key local grape varieties: Corvina Veronese, Corvinone, Rondinella and Molinara. Corvina is the most common variety of the region, able to add colour, cherry, plum and herbal flavours with high acidity. Corvinone supplies the tannin and more flavour. Rondinella is reliable to grow but can be good for additional sugar in wines such as Recioto, whilst Molinara adds light red-berries and acidity to the blends.
The Appassimento method is key in the production of Valpolicella, allowing the wines to take on greater body and silky mouthfeel. This is where the grapes are dried before they are crushed which concentrates sugar, tannin, acidity, flavours and colour by evaporating the water, contributing massively to the final wine.
Styles of Valpolicella Wine
Valpolicella, just like Soave, has a mixed and slightly flawed reputation due to the proliferation of cheap, thin, acidic reds that have come out of the region, trading on name rather than quality. However, this has turned around in recent years and the focus on quality is renewing again.
Valpolicella – fresh flavoured, and light to medium-bodied, Valpolicella is all about appealing, easy drinking red wine, with low tannins, and a soft fruity flavour of red cherries, and a tangy edge, with a sprinkle of toasted almonds and herbs!
Valpolicella Classico – from the higher quality designated vineyards, these wines offer richness, roundness and character, albeit still with a fresher, slightly lighter and more fragrant style than many of their southern counterparts. Ripe cherry and fresh herb fruit, with a whack of refreshing acidity on the finish. For those who love great reds, but don’t want the tannin or heavy alcohol hit!
Valpolicella Superiore – this is an additional optional for Valpolicella and Valpolicella Classico or Valpantena for wines with a higher alcohol level. They must be aged for one year after 1 January of the year after the harvest, often in large barrels. Essentially, Superiore is used as a way to mark out the higher quality against the basic DOC. A few producers make exceptional wines in this category, and indeed charge for it. Check out Quintarelli Valpolicella Classico Superiore or Romano dal Forno Valpolicella Superiore to give you an idea.
Ripasso della Valpolicella - wine producers in Valpolicella have fought for years to try to create richer, fuller styles of red, which is difficult for them, given the climatic conditions of north-eastern Italy. Therefore various techniques are used, which result in a far richer, more powerful range of wines, including the world famous Amarone. For Ripasso wines, newly made Valpolicella is added to unpressed grape skins taken from the end of the fermentation phase of Amarone or Recioto for a second maceration process. This adds sugar, colour, flavour and tannin to create a far richer, intense, and structured style of wine, with rich, almond and black cherry fruit.
Recioto della Valpolicella - this is a luscious, unusual, sweet red wine, made entirely from sun- dried grapes, which were harvested early, and then left out to dry on mats for up to 120 days, by which time, there has been an intense concentration of sugars, acids and flavours, as the water in the grapes evaporates. In modern times, the process is to dry the grapes on steel frames, on pallets, to achieve the same effect.The grapes are then pressed and fermented until the wine has reached the required level of sweetness and alcohol, after which they are aged in large barrels for 2 years.
Amarone – the pinnacle of Valpolicella wines, and a worldwide success story, these have an unbelievable intensity and power, reach 16%+ alcohol, and at their very best, deserve a place in the world’s top wines. Similarly to Recioto, the grapes are dried for up to 120 days but is not made in a sweet style, rather they are dry or sometimes teetering on off-dry. They must be aged for at least two years in oak, or four years to qualify as Riserva wines. Expect intense cherry, spice, high tannin and richness.
Matching Valpolicella Wines with Food
The styles of Ripasso, Amarone and Recioto evolved because of the local producers’ desire to create red wines of more intensity and richness than the natural fermentation of their red grapes would allow.
Valpolicella – this light, fresh cherry fruit style of wine works perfectly with everyday pasta suppers, sausages, and also platters of cured meats. Great, simple, easy drinking red.
Valpolicella Classico – richer,more structured, but still with that intensely wild cherry edge, this style is great with herb crusted lamb, or veal, chicken in red wine, cheesy risotto, and tomato based pasta dishes.
Ripasso della Valpolicella – these rich, intense wines are perfect with good steak, rich beef stews, prosciutto and herb wrapped chicken and a wedge of decent cheese.
Amarone – the pinnacle of all the wines from this region, this is hefty stuff, normally at 15%, and is best with top quality beef, a risotto cooked in the same wine, which is one of the specialities of the regions, or with a chunk of top grade Parmigiano.
Recioto della Valpolicella – many people are surprised when they see that a chilled, sweet wine is red. These wines are divine, with intense flavours of chocolate and raspberries, with a luscious edge; perfect with blue cheese, but most of all with anything chocolatey.