Wine Denomination from Veneto
Valpolicella is a dry red wine from the hills north of Verona, in the Veneto region of northeast Italy. It is a blend of local grapes, led by Corvina. The same area also makes Ripasso, Amarone and the sweet Recioto, so "Valpolicella" is both a wine and a whole family of wines. Plain Valpolicella is the lightest of them: a fresh, cherry-scented red for everyday drinking. Valpolicella has been a DOC since 1968.
A basic Valpolicella is light to medium in body, with bright acidity and soft tannins. Expect sour cherry, red cherry and raspberry, with hints of violet, herbs and a faint bitter-almond note on the finish. It is always dry. Valpolicella Superiore has more body and depth from at least a year of ageing. If you like Pinot Noir, Beaujolais or the neighboring Bardolino, which uses the same grapes, plain Valpolicella is a good match.
All of these come from the same zone and the same grapes. They differ in how the grapes are handled:
- Valpolicella DOC: the fresh, everyday red. Classico means it comes from the historic western valleys; Valpantena is a named sub-zone; Superiore means at least 12% alcohol and one year of ageing.
- Valpolicella Ripasso DOC: Valpolicella refermented on Amarone or Recioto skins. Richer and rounder (see below).
- Amarone della Valpolicella DOCG: made from grapes dried for about three to four months before pressing (appassimento), then fermented fully dry. Powerful, with at least 14% alcohol and at least two years of ageing.
- Recioto della Valpolicella DOCG: also made from dried grapes, but the fermentation stops early, leaving a sweet red dessert wine. It is the oldest style of the family.
Amarone and Recioto have been separate DOCGs since 2010. Our Amarone wine guide covers them in depth.
Ripasso means "re-passed". After Amarone and Recioto are pressed in winter, producers pour young Valpolicella over the leftover dried-grape skins. This starts a short second fermentation. The wine picks up more color, body, alcohol and flavors of dried cherry, plum and spice. The result sits between Valpolicella and Amarone in weight and price, which is why it is often called "baby Amarone". Since 2010 Valpolicella Ripasso has had its own DOC, with at least 12.5% alcohol (13% for Ripasso Superiore). Good examples include the Tommasi Ripasso Classico Superiore, Zenato Ripassa, Bertani Ripasso and Speri Ripasso Classico Superiore.
Valpolicella is one of the better values among Italian reds. In the US, a basic Valpolicella or Valpolicella Classico costs about $15–25, and supermarket brands can be cheaper. Ripasso usually costs about $20–35. Amarone is much more expensive, usually about $45–100, because drying the grapes loses a large part of their weight in water, so each bottle needs far more fruit. The most famous Amarone producers sell for several hundred dollars a bottle.
To taste plain Valpolicella first, try the Allegrini Valpolicella Classico, Masi Bonacosta or Speri Valpolicella Classico. For a benchmark Superiore, look at Quintarelli.
The zone lies between Lake Garda to the west and the Lessini mountains to the north, with a series of valleys running south toward Verona. The Classico area covers the historic western valleys, around Fumane, Marano, Negrar, San Pietro in Cariano and Sant'Ambrogio. Valpantena is the valley just east of it. The wider eastern zone, toward Illasi and Mezzane, was added later and also makes excellent wine. Vineyards run from the plain up to the hills, and many are still trained on the traditional pergola.
Serve basic Valpolicella slightly cool, at 14–16°C (57–61°F); 20 minutes in the fridge is enough. Ripasso and Superiore are better at 16–18°C (61–64°F) in a larger glass. Drink plain Valpolicella within two or three years of the vintage. Ripasso usually drinks well for five to eight years.
Light Valpolicella goes with pizza, pasta with tomato sauce, cured meats, grilled chicken and mushroom risotto. Ripasso suits richer food: lasagna, beef stew, sausages, burgers and aged cheeses. In Verona, try it with risotto all'Amarone or pastissada, a slow-cooked horse-meat stew.
Valpolicella is pronounced vahl-poh-lee-CHEL-lah. Ripasso is ree-PAHS-soh, and Corvina is kor-VEE-nah.
Valpolicella is one of the great red wines of Veneto. Read our Veneto wine guide for Prosecco, Soave and the region's other wines, see our best Amarone wines, or browse every Valpolicella in our catalog below.