Amarone della Valpolicella

The Amarone della Valpolicella is one of the variants of the Valpolicella wine from the same named area in the Veneto just above Verona between the villages Sant Ambrogio di Valpolicella and Montecchia di Crosara. The Amarone was born out of a modern evolution of the well known Valpolicella variant Recioto della Valpolicella.

The grape varieties used for Amarone are Corvina, Rondinella and Molinara, from which Corvina is used the most, then Rondinella and the smallest part is filled with the Molinara grape. The grapes are dried for at least 4 months before they are pressed. This process creates more sugars which allows the wine to age longer and also makes it more sweet. In time the sugars transform into alcohol which makes the wine less sweet and more bitter.

Amarone is a dry full bodied red wine with a traditional dark garnet red color. When Amarone is still young (between 5 and 8 years) it has a taste of fruit which slowly lessens when the wine ages, Amarone becomes a bit more bitter with the years (but not unpleasant). The flavors that you can expect from an Amarone are hints of herbs and minerals, often combined with tar, ripe cherries and chocolate.

Amarone is one of the best and well known wines from Italy and can certainly compete with big wine names such as Barolo and Brunello di Montalcino.

Amarone della Valpolicella reached DOCG (Denominazione di Origine Controllata e Garantita) status in 2009, the highest in Italy.