Amarone della Valpolicella (Italy)
Amarone from the Valpolicella wine region is one of the finest Italian wines.
The main grape is Corvina (70%) followed by Rondinella and Molinara.
Typical Flavors
 Cherry |
 Blackberry |
 Plum |
 Prune |
 Raisin |
 Fig |
 Violets |
 Spices |
Oak added Flavors:
 Vanilla |
 Chocolate |
 Tobacco |
 Oak |
Black Cherries, Black Berries, Plum, and Raisins are typical Amarone flavors.
Hints of Peppery Spices, and Earthy flavors like Coffee and Oak.
Profile
Amarone tends to be full bodied:
| BODY | Full | ||
| TANNINS | Medium - High | ||
| FRUIT | Medium - High | ||
| ACIDITY | Medium | ||
| |||
Food Pairing
 Pasta |
 Pizza |
 Risotto |
 Cheese |
 Sausages |
 Salami |
 Ham |
 Hamburger |
 Chicken |
 Goose |
 Lamb |
 Pork |
 Wild Boar |
 Deer |
 Steak |
Chocolate |
Amarone has a powerfull personality.
It pairs well with both Venetian Cuisine and Asian cooking.
It is also great sipped alone as a Meditation Wine.
Pairing Suggestions
Excellent Pairing:
Savory Dishes. Amarone Sauce. Soups.
Spiced Chicken. Chicken Teriyaki. Roast Duck.
Rustic Stew. Pork Stew. Wild Boar.
Lamb. Veal. Osso Buco.
Beef. Braised Ox. Grilled Steak.
Any Meat Braised in Amarone.
Game. Deer. Venison.
Reindeer. Elk. (in Scandinavia).
Chocolate.
Cheese:
Chesese and Fruit. Big Flavor Cheeses.
Aged Cheeses. Asiago. Manchegeo. Parmesan. Pecorino.
Blue Cheeses. Gorgonzola. Roquefort. Stilton
Veneto Spesialities:
Pappardelle alla Lepre (Ribbon Pasta with Hare).
Risotto all'Amarone.
Pasta e Fasoi (Pasta and Bean Soup).
Bigoli col sugo de Anara (Pasta with Duck Sauce).
Fegato alla Veneziana (Calf Liver).
Pastisade de Caval (Horse Stew).
About Amarone
The typical grape varieties in Amarone are Corvina Veronese, Rondinella, and Molinara.
Amarone is made with dehydrated grapes (raisin) to add full body, cherry, plum, and pine rasin notes. This wine was born out of a mistake: Recioto was left to ferment too long, resulting in a dry wine that became Valpolicella`s star.
Amarone has been produced for many years, but has gained very high international popularity in recent years.
The wine is fully or partly produced from dried grapes (Passito). This makes the wine fuller and more alcoholic (min. 14%).
One of the DOC(G) rules demands that the wine output from the dried grapes must be less than 40%.
Amarone grapes are dryed in large drying houses.
Amarone DOC(G)
Amarone became a part of the Valpolicella DOC in 1968, and a separate DOCG in 2010.
Amarone DOCG (Denominazione di Origine Controllata e Garantita):
- 45-95% Corvina or Corvinone Grapes
- 5-30% Rodinella Grapes
- 0-10% Molinara Grapes
- Minimum 14% Alcohol
- Maximum 12 grams/liter Residual Sugar
- Minimum 24 Months Aging
- Minimum 48 Months for Riserva
An average Amarone can last 10-15 years in a cellar.
The Valpolicella Wine Region
The wines from the Valpolicella Wine Region range from light style Valpolicella to strong style Amarone and dessert wine Recioto:
- Valpolicella: the Lightest.
- Ripasso: the Bolder.
- Amarone: the King.
- Recioto: the Sweet.
Veneto
Veneto is famous for its capital Venezia, and the wines Prosecco, Soave, and Amarone.
Red Wines:
Valpolicella
Bardolino
Colli Euganei Rosso
Friularo di Bagnoli
Merlot
Montello Rosso
Piave Malanotte
Tai Rosso
White Wines:
Soave
Durello
Garganega
Glera
Lison
Lugana
Pinot Grigio
Sparkling Wines:
Ripasso Wines:
Rosé Wines:
Dessert Wines:
Primary Grapes:
25% Glera (Prosecco)
15% Garganega (Soave)
11% Corvina (Amarone)
11% Merlot
10% Pinot Grigio
The Ideal Glass
The Bordeaux glass is perfect for a good bodied red wine.
It is taller than other red wine glasses, and has a slimmer bowl.
The large size of the glass allows the fruit bouquet to develop. It smooths out rough edges, plays down tannins, and allows the wines to achieve balance.
The slimmer bowl sends the wine directly to the back of the mouth for maximum taste.