Wine Denomination from Veneto
Amarone della Valpolicella is a rich, dry red wine from the hills north of Verona, in the Veneto region of northeast Italy. It is made from the same local grapes as Valpolicella, led by Corvina. The difference is that the grapes are dried for months before they are pressed. This method, called appassimento, gives a dark, powerful wine with flavors of dried cherry, plum and spice. Amarone has been a DOCG, Italy's top quality level, since 2010.
The name comes from amaro, Italian for "bitter". It was coined to set the dry wine apart from Recioto, the older, sweet wine made from the same dried grapes. The story goes that Amarone began as a Recioto that fermented dry by accident. True or not, Amarone only became a widely sold wine in the second half of the 20th century.
Amarone is a dry wine, but it rarely tastes lean. Drying the grapes concentrates their sugar, so the finished wine has a minimum of 14% alcohol and often reaches 15–16%. Ripe, dried-fruit flavors and a soft, almost velvety texture can give a sense of sweetness, and some bottles keep a few grams of sugar. Expect black cherry, raisin, prune, cocoa, coffee and sweet spice, with moderate acidity and smooth tannins. Older bottles add leather, tobacco and dried herbs. If you want the sweet version, look for Recioto della Valpolicella.
After the harvest in September and October, the best bunches are laid on racks or in crates in airy drying lofts (fruttai). They stay there for about three to four months and lose a large share of their weight as water evaporates. The rules forbid pressing the grapes before 1 December. Fermentation is slow because the juice is so sweet, and it can last for weeks. The wine is then aged, usually in large oak casks, smaller barrels or both, before release.
All four come from the same zone and the same grapes. They differ in how the grapes are handled:
- Valpolicella: fresh grapes, fermented normally. A light, cherry-scented everyday red.
- Valpolicella Ripasso: young Valpolicella refermented on the dried skins left over after pressing Amarone or Recioto. It gains body and dried-fruit flavor, and costs much less than Amarone.
- Amarone: dried grapes, fermented until dry. The most powerful and most expensive of the family.
- Recioto della Valpolicella: dried grapes, but fermentation stops early, leaving a sweet red dessert wine.
So what is the difference between appassimento and ripasso? Appassimento is the drying of the grapes, used for Amarone and Recioto. Ripasso is a second fermentation on the skins left over from those wines. That link, and its middle position in weight and price, is why Ripasso is often called "baby Amarone".
No. Plain Valpolicella is often compared to Pinot Noir, since both are light, fresh and fruity. Amarone is much fuller, darker and higher in alcohol. If you enjoy big, ripe reds such as Zinfandel, Primitivo or a rich Napa Cabernet, Amarone is a better match.
In the US, most Amarone costs about $45–100. Wines from large, well-known producers can be found for about $40–60. Single-vineyard bottles and Riservas often cost $80–150. The most famous names, such as Quintarelli and Romano Dal Forno, sell for several hundred dollars. Amarone is expensive for three reasons:
- Less wine per grape: drying removes much of the water, so each bottle needs far more fruit than a normal red.
- Time and labor: the grapes are hand-picked, sorted and dried for months, and the wine needs at least two years of ageing.
- Risk: the drying grapes can rot, and producers only use their best, healthiest bunches.
Good bottles to start with include the Masi Costasera, Allegrini Amarone Classico, Tommasi Amarone Classico and Speri Vigneto Monte Sant'Urbano. For more picks, see our best Amarone wines guide.
Amarone is made across the Valpolicella zone, between Lake Garda and the Lessini mountains. Classico on the label means the wine comes from the historic western valleys, around Fumane, Marano, Negrar, San Pietro in Cariano and Sant'Ambrogio. Valpantena is the valley just east of it; Bertani's Valpantena is a well-known example. The wider eastern zone, toward Illasi and Mezzane, was added later and is home to estates such as Dal Forno and Roccolo Grassi.
Serve Amarone at 16–18°C (61–64°F) in a large glass. Open it an hour or two ahead, or decant it, so the aromas open up. Most Amarone drinks well from about 5 to 15 years after the vintage, and the best bottles can last much longer. Because it is so rich, a small pour goes a long way.
Amarone needs rich, slow-cooked food. In Verona it is served with risotto all'Amarone, beef braised in Amarone, and game such as venison or wild boar. It also suits short ribs, oxtail, roast lamb and mushroom dishes. Aged hard cheeses, like Parmigiano Reggiano or aged Monte Veronese, are a classic match. Many Italians also sip it on its own after dinner as a vino da meditazione, a "wine for thinking". Avoid light fish and salads.
Amarone is pronounced ah-mah-ROH-neh, with the stress on the third syllable. Valpolicella is vahl-poh-lee-CHEL-lah, and appassimento is ah-pahs-see-MEN-toh.
Amarone is the most famous red wine of Veneto. Read our Amarone wine guide for more on the style, our Veneto wine guide for Prosecco, Soave and the region's other wines, or browse every Amarone in our catalog below.