Amarone della Valpolicella is a typically rich Italian dry red wine made from the partially dried grapes of the Corvina (40.0% – 70.0%), Rondinella (20.0% – 40.0%) and Molinara (5.0% – 25.0%) varieties. The wine was awarded Denominazione di Origine Controllata status in December 1990.

History

The name of this wine was given to distinguish it from the sweet Recioto, wine from which it was, inadvertently, originated. The legend recites that a producer wanting to do the Recioto with Corvina, Rondinella and Molinara desiccated grapes, forgot the wine in the barrique. The product continued to ferment, all its sugars were transformed to alcohol and the wine lost its sweetness. In opposition to what it should have been, it was named “Amarone” (big bitter).

The first documented selling was recorded in 1938, but official trade started only in 1953, the year in which Amarone was firstly sold by choice and not by chance. It gained immediate success, however, to a small public of passionate lovers. The production of this wine remains modest, covering only 10% of the territory production in the province of Verona (Veneto), dominated by Valpolicella and Valpolicella Superiore, fragrant red wines, often to be drunk young, refreshing and tasty. Those wines, even though made with the same grapes than Recioto and Amarone, are easier to produce (there is no desiccation involved), to sell and to drink.

Until 1990, production of Recioto was largely greater than Amarone's. Later on, starting from that year regulation change clearly differentiating the two products and giving it the status of Denominazione di Origine Controllata, Amarone's demand started to grow, to peak in 1995.

In conclusion, Amarone is quite recent but produced by skilled and experienced winemakers, which is what is needed to drive to the right level of desiccation the grapes designed for this precious wine.

Process

Grapes are harvested perfectly ripe in the first two weeks of October, by carefully choosing bunches having fruits not too close to each other, to let the air flow. Grapes are allowed to dry, traditionally on straw mats. This process is called rasinate (to dry and shrivel) in Italian. This concentrates the remaining sugars and flavors and is similar to the production of French Vin de Paille. The pomace left over from pressing off the Amarone is used in the production of Ripasso Valpolicellas.

Modern Amarone is now produced in special drying chambers under controlled conditions. This new approach minimizes the amount of handling that the grapes go through and help prevent the onset of botrytis cinerea. In Amarone, the quality of the grape skin is a primary concern as that component brings the tannins, color and intensity of flavor to the wine. The process of desiccation not only concentrates the juices within the grape but also increases the skin contact of the grapes. The drying process further metabolizes the acids within the grape and creates a polymerization of the tannins in the skin which contribute to the overall balance of the finished wine. J. Robinson editor The Oxford Companion to Wine pg 19 Oxford University Press 2006 ISBN 0198609906