Wine You Probably Don’t Drink But Should Part I - Valpolicella
Valpolicella is grown in the Veneto region (North East Italy
just outside of Venice) and has several personalities depending on how it is processed
in aged. Valpolicella is a wine region not the name of a
grape. A number of different grapes can
go into a bottle of Valpolicella the most prominent of which is a grape hardly anyone has ever heard of called Corvina.
The most well known personality is basic Valpolicella. It is a light bodied wine, has alcohol levels
of 11-12%, and is a great wine to have with Pizza, lighter meats like veal, or heavier
seafood like swordfish. A bottle of
Valpolicella should cost between $8 and $15.
The most regal personality for Valpolicella is Amarone. Amarone starts out with the same grapes as
Valpolicella but before fermentation starts the grapes are dried out, traditionally
on straw mats but now through a variety of processes, so that the juice that
remains is very concentrated. The wine
is then aged for five or more years before being sold to the public. The wine is full bodied, has around 15% alcohol,
and pair s well with heavy meat dishes like roasts, beef short ribs, or strong
cheeses like Parmigiano-Reggiano. You
can use it a desert time by serving some dark chocolate with Amarone. Because
of all of the processing involved you should expect to pay between $45 and $75
for a bottle of Amarone. 
The third personality is Ripasso. It is a poor man’s Amarone. It is made by taking leftover skins from making Amarone and mixing it with the juice that makes basic Valpolicella. The result is a wine that has more body then a basic Valpolicella, but is not as heavy and more versatile then Amarone. As you would suspect the alcohol level is also between that of basic Valpolicella and Amarone. It is personal favorite of mine and I enjoy it with lasagna, pasta with meat sauce, and Italian Sausage. A bottle of Ripaasso will set you back between $14 and $25.
I encourage you to branch out and giving these a try. Who knows by stepping out of your comfort zone you might end up with a few different personalities as well.
Every time I've tried Valpolicella in the past, I wasn't impressed. Maybe I'll try the Amarone and it will change my mind about Valpolicella. The price might be prohibitive except for special occasions though.
ReplyDeleteA lot depends on the food you are having with it. I would be surprised if you were disappointed with an Amarone. If you are concerned about the price point try a Ripasso with some traditional meat sauced based Italian foods. That may change your mind as well.
ReplyDeleteThanks. I will.
ReplyDeleteGrazie, Signore. I'd never heard of Ripasso, but my wallet may appreciate the lighter touch from buying Amarone!
ReplyDeleteGlad to be of service.
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