Amarone della Valpolicella

Amarone della Valpolicella or simply Amarone is an Italian red wine from the Valpolicella area in the Veneto region . On August 21, 1968, the wine received a "controlled designation of origin " ( Denominazione di origine controllata - DOC). In 2010 the highest level ( DOCG ) was awarded, which was last updated on March 7, 2014. It is a dry red wine, which is developed similarly to a sweet wine . Some of the grapes are dried ("appassimento") before pressing , which gives the wine its high alcohol content.

An Amarone has nothing to do with the lighter Valpolicella wines that are traditionally drunk with food in Italy. It is a heavy wine with a great abundance of aromas. It got its name (Italian amaro = bitter) from the bitter notes that are sometimes present . It retains its character in the bottle 10 to 15 years, some even up to 30 years after the harvest. Alongside Barolo , Brunello di Montalcino and the wines from Bolgheri , the Amarone is one of the great red wines in Italy.

Growing area

The grapes for the Amarone may only be grown (in whole or in part) in the following communities in the Veneto region: Marano , Fumane , Negrar , Sant'Ambrogio di Valpolicella , San Pietro in Cariano , Dolcè , Verona , San Martino Buon Albergo , Lavagno , Mezzane di Sotto , Tregnago , Illasi , Colognola ai Colli , Cazzano di Tramigna , Grezzana , Pescantina , Cerro Veronese , San Mauro di Saline and Montecchia di Crosara .

The growing area for wines with the addition "Classico" is limited to the municipalities of Negrar, Marano, Fumane, Sant'Ambrogio, San Pietro in Cariano.

Manufacturing

The “Amarone della Valpolicella” is also available with the “Classico”, “Valpantena” or “Riserva” awards. The wine gets its special expressiveness through its elaborate production.

generation

An Amarone della Valpolicella may only be made from the following grape varieties :

45–95% Corvina Veronese (also called Cruina or Corvina). The grape variety may be replaced by the Corvinone variety up to a maximum of 50% .
5-30% rondinella
0-15% other red grape varieties approved for cultivation in the province of Verona (maximum 10% of one grape variety)
0–10% other autochthonous Italian grape varieties approved for cultivation in the province of Verona .

Appassimento

The best grapes that are not affected by rot are placed on wooden racks to dry immediately after harvest and are dried for two to four months in well-ventilated attics or storage rooms until they have lost about a third, sometimes even half, of their weight. The process is called in Italian "Appassimento" (withering / shrinking), see also straw wine . Above all, the water evaporates, while acid, sugar and extract substances are retained and are increasingly concentrated. Since there is a risk of rot, the grapes have to be turned, rearranged and sorted out if necessary and additionally ventilated by fans before they are almost pressed as raisins during this process . The longer and more carefully the appassimento is made, the higher the concentrate. By converting the fructose into polyphenols and resveratrol , the must is given a special flavor .

Miracolo dell'Amarone

Due to the high sugar content, the yeasts reach alcohol contents of around 15% vol. Before they die. A lot of sugar remains in the must. With the Amarone, however, a further fermentation begins, which helps the wine to achieve alcohol levels of up to 16 or 17%. Since the winemakers could not explain this phenomenon at first, they spoke of a miracolo (German: miracle ) - suitable for advertising . Today we know that other, special yeast strains are responsible, which are alcohol and temperature-loving.

description

The designation of the controlled and guaranteed designation of origin "Amarone della Valpolicella", also with references to "Classico" and "Valpantena" and the indication "Riserva", must have the following characteristics: