Ripasso (Italy)
Ripasso is wine from Veneto in North East Italy.
It is often called an Amarone on a budget.
Grapes: Corvina 70%, Rondinella, 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 Ripasso flavors.
Hints of Peppery Spices, and Earthy flavors like Coffee and Oak.
Profile
| BODY | Medium - Plus | ||
| TANNINS | Medium - Low | ||
| FRUIT | Medium - High | ||
| ACIDITY | Medium | ||
| |||
Food Pairing
 Antipasti |
 Vegetables |
 Ham |
 Salami |
 Pizza |
 Pasta |
 Risotto |
 Soups |
 Hamburger |
 Chicken |
 Lamb |
 Veal |
Ripasso is very food friendly. It pairs well with many types of food.
Ripasso fruitiness is perfect with Grilled Food.
Pairing Suggestions
Excellent Pairing:
Italian. Venetian Cuisine.
Antipasti. Ham. Salami. Lardo di Colonnata.
Grilled Vegetables. Spicy , Rich Soups.
Pizza. Pasta. Risotto. Porcini Mushroom Risotto.
Fat Fish. Bacalao. Salmon. Tuna.
Grilled or Roasted Meat. Fowl. Game.
Stews. Braised Lamb. Glazed Pork.
BBQ. Hamburger. Steak. Mix Grill.
Cheese:
Mild Aged Cheese. Asiago. Montasio. Piave.
Veneto Specialities:
Veneto Antipasti.
Treviso’s Radicchio Risotto.
Polenta Dishes.
Fresh Pasta with Duck Sauce.
The Ideal Glass
The Bordeaux glass is perfect for medium to full bodied red wines.
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.
About
The name Ripasso (re-passed) indicates the wine making technique.
In Autumn, after harvest, selected grapes for Amarone and Recioto wines remain in lofts above wineries to dry for 4 months.
All other grapes are squeezed and short fermented to make the basic Valpolicella Classico wine, the first to enter the market.
Towards the end of January, the semi-dried grapes are squeezed and can start the long skin contact fermentation resulting into Amarone or Recioto wines, then stored for aging.
After the first fermentation, the skins left over (aka pomace) are still full of tannins, sugar and aromas. They are added to a young Valpolicella Classico wine for a second, short fermentation (re-fermented, go over again).
The result is a wine with more alcohol, thickness, color and body, often referred as "Baby Amarone" or "The poor man Amarone".
The typical grape varieties are Corvina, Corvinone, Rondinella, and Molinara.
In 2007, Ripasso received its own DOC designation.
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
Friularo di Bagnoli
Bardolino
Merlot
Tai Rosso
Colli Euganei Rosso
White Wines:
Soave
Prosecco
Pinot Grigio
Glera
Garganega
Ripasso Wines:
Rosé Wines:
Dessert Wines:
Primary Grapes:
25% Glera (Prosecco)
15% Garganega (Soave)
11% Corvina (Amarone)
11% Merlot
10% Pinot Grigio