Valpolicella, Ripasso (Ripasso della Valpolicella), and Amarone (Amarone della Valpolicella), red blended dry still wines made in Italy.
This topic is for ratings and reviews of Valpolicella, Ripasso (Ripasso della Valpolicella), and Amarone (Amarone della Valpolicella), red blended still wines made in Italy, in the Valpolicella viticultural zone. They are listed above in order of increasing body, richness, tannin, and flavors, all made from the same grapes, with the differences resulting from winemaking methods. Valpolicella, Ripasso, and Amarone are all made from the red grapes Corvina Veronese, Rondinella, and Corvinone; also allowed are Molinara, Negrara and Dindarella. Depending on the zone in which they are produced, they may be called simply Valpolicella, Valpolicella Classico (the term classico is reserved for wines produced in the region where a particular type of wine has been produced "traditionally"), Valpolicella Superiore, or Valpantena, if they are produced in the small Valpantena valley. Recioto della Valpolicella, a sweet wine, is made from the same grapes, but is not rated here.
Valpolicella is a viticultural zone in the province of Verona in the Veneto region of northeastern Italy. In Italy, a province (provincia) is an administrative division of intermediate level between municipality (comune) and region (regione). A province is composed of many municipalities, and usually several provinces form a region. The province of Verona is one of seven provinces in the Veneto region; Veneto is one of the 20 regions of Italy, a large Italian wine region that includes the cities of Venice and Verona. The best-known wines produced in the Veneto region are Valpolicella, Soave, and Bardolino. Nearly a fifth of all the DOC wines of Italy come from this region. Valpolicella is ranked 2nd of total DOC red wine produced in Italy, following Chianti. See Official portal for the Valpolicella region: Wine; Wikipedia, Valpolicella.
Wine is an alcoholic beverage made from the fermentation of grape juice. The most basic division of wine is into color: red, white, and rosé (or "blush"). Wines are categorized as table wines, sparkling wines, dessert wines, and fortified wines. Dessert wines are sweet, as are fortified wines, such as port and sherry, which have other liquors such as brandy added to them. Aromatic wines, such as vermouth, have been flavored with herbs. Sparkling wines, such as Champagne, contain carbonation and thus are "sparkly" or bubbly. Still wines ("still" since they aren't bubbly from carbonation), are either varietals or blended wines. A varietal wine is any wine that takes its name from its predominant grape variety, as opposed to a blended wine, which is a blend of different grape varieties. A vintage wine date denoted on the label of the wine indicates the year in which 95 percent of the grapes used to make the wine were harvested. Non-vintage (NV) wines are blends of grapes harvested in different years, denoted by the absence of a year on the label.
The names of wines reflect a dichotomy between "Old World" and "New World" that exists in the world of wine. "Old World" refers to traditional wine-producing nations of Europe and the Mediterranean, such as France, Italy, Spain, Portugal and Germany. "New World" refers to those countries where the wine-growing industry has been established since the arrival of European influences, such as USA, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, Chile, and Argentina. The names of wine everywhere start with the name of the winemaker (or negociant who "assembled" the wine). What comes next in the name is where the dichotomy begins. Varietal "New World" wines are named for the most prominent grape variety used to produce the wine, such as "Cabernet Sauvignon," but varietal "Old World" wines, as well as their blended wines, are named after the appellation of origin. Appellation of origin refers to the country, state, county, or viticultural area in which the grapes were grown, such as "Bordeaux" or "Napa Valley." "Old World" wine labels always include the appellation of origin and sometimes include the variety of grape. "New World" wine labels always include the variety of grape and frequently include the appellation of origin.
Countries and states regulate the amount of a particular grape that makes up a particular wine. In the USA, for wines from states or counties, 75 percent of the grapes must be from that location. In the case of a viticultural area (AVA, or American Viticultural Area), such as "Napa Valley," 85 percent of the grapes must come from that area. In Europe, the rules that govern appellations are dependent on the country in which the wine was produced. The abbreviated Italian terms for their appellation (area of origin) classifications are, from highest to lowest quality, DOCG, DOC, IGT, and Vino da tavola; the quantities made are in inverse order, e.g., the smallest quantities made are DOCG wines. See Wikipedia, Wine and Italian_wine.
Rate and review the Valpolicella wines listed below, or go to the Actions section to ask that another Valpolicella wine be added to the list. Make sure to include the year of production (or if no year appears on the label, insert NV for non-vintage), the appellation or viticultural area, and the price, rounded off. Examples: Tedeschi Capitel Dei Nicalo 2003 Valpolicella Classico Superiore ($16); Sa' Solin 2003 Ripasso della Valpolicella ($16) Farina 2003 Amarone della Valpolicella Classico ($39).
