Valpolicella

In the wine area of Valpolicella, some of the finest red wines on the national wine scene are produced, and beyond. Valpolicella is an appellation of great national prestige, able to establish itself on the international market thanks to the quality and rich variety of its wines. Its production history is linked to the care for native red grape varieties: Corvina, Corvinone, Rondinella and other minor ones, which give an unmistakable style to the types of wine provided for by the specification: Amarone della Valpolicella, Valpolicella, Valpolicella Ripasso, Recioto della Valpolicella . To let you discover your favorite Valpolicella wine, let's clarify the types. Vintage Valpolicella is a fresh and vinous, soft and lively wine: you can't help but like it! Its "Superiore" version has superior qualitative characteristics, precisely, because it is produced from selected grapes, and characterized by greater alcohol content and structure, also thanks to the aging of one year, as per the production regulations. By increasing its structure, Valpolicella Ripasso DOC has a more consistent body than the previous ones, because it is obtained from the refermentation of Valpolicella on the pomace of Amarone or Recioto. A unique product in the world, pleasantly round and long-lived. If you are planning a little meditation, Amarone della Valpolicella DOCG, the most prestigious wine of Valpolicella, is the wine for you. It is obtained by drying the grapes that rest on fruit stands for 100/120 days, in order to concentrate sugars and polyphenols in the berries, and the slow fermentation results in a wine with a high alcohol content. Finally, aging in wood refines its structure and allows it to evolve for decades. Finally we arrive at Recioto della Valpolicella DOCG, the ancestor of Amarone, the oldest wine of the Valpolicella appellation. This wine is obtained by stopping the fermentation to preserve the necessary sugar percentage, to guarantee the sweetness that distinguishes this wine. Despite being the only sweet wine produced in Valpolicella, it is never cloying thanks to its acidity and structure. Ready to bring Valpolicella to the table?

What is the difference between Valpolicella Superiore and Valpolicella Ripasso?

If you are wondering the difference between Valpolicella Superiore and Valpolicella Ripasso, we are here to clarify all your doubts. Let's start from the beginning: it can be said that Valpolicella Ripasso is in some way the older brother of Valpolicella, a wine that in its basic version is young and fine with a vinous, subtle aroma and a fresh, dry and somewhat soft, pleasantly lively flavor. Valpolicella Superiore is obtained from the red vinification of the native Valpolicella grapes, followed by a short ageing. Therefore, to obtain the Superiore version, Valpolicella must have higher qualitative characteristics and is in fact produced with the grapes chosen from the best vineyards, sometimes with light drying that lead to greater alcohol content and structure. Furthermore, it cannot be placed on the market before a year has passed since aging. The Valpolicella Ripasso instead takes its name from its production technique. The Ripasso method consists in putting Valpolicella in contact with the pomace of Amarone, thus placing itself as a middle ground between these two types. In those 15-20 days of contact, the second alcoholic fermentation is triggered. All this is done to give the Valpolicella greater structure, without however aspiring to the power of Amarone. Following the harvest, the best bunches are selected and left to dry for about four months on the typical straw used for drying, the so-called “Arelle”. The grapes that have not withered are immediately pressed to produce Valpolicella. Then, when it comes time to rack the Amarone, the Valpolicella is put on the skins for the conferring of flavors and aromas. Ladies and Gentlemen, this is how a Valpolicella Ripasso is born, a wine born as an anti-waste initiative of Recioto or Amarone pomace. The difference between Valpolicella Superiore and Valpolicella Ripasso therefore lies in the more ethereal aromas of the latter, compared to the greater power of the former. The Ripasso is enveloping and full-bodied, the Valpolicella Superiore denotes a more marked alcohol content and requires a greater commitment on the palate, given by the aging of at least 12 months in oak barrels, as required by its production disciplinary. Now that the wines of Valpolicella have no more secrets for you, you can choose from the best labels we have selected for you, and then boast an enological knowledge with your friends on the topic of Valpolicella wines!

What are the best wineries in Valpolicella?

Can't wait to try a Valpolicella wine, but don't know which are the best wineries? On Vino.com you happen well, always and in any case. Before we give you our best advice on the best Valpolicella has to offer, know that the Valpolicella DOC is dotted with producers who offer excellent value for their products. You can appeal to guides that report competitions and prizes reserved for the best wineries in Valpolicella, but the reality in this field is very personal and we invite you to try to discover your favorite production style! To help you choose, we can recommend the great names that symbolize quality such as Allegrini with its wine icons, or their Corte Giara line which reinterprets the gustatory importance of Valpolicella in an innovative way, making the wine accessible even to less connoisseurs. If you are a classic type, then you will not go wrong by choosing reference points of the caliber of Masi, Bertani or Tommasi, and you will be surprised to discover the magical essence of the Valpolicella terroir in the glasses of Brigaldara. Softness and elegance are the basis of the production philosophy of Tenuta Santa Maria, owned by the Bertani family, where Amarone was born. For sale exclusively on Vino.com, the Dal Moro line, identity wines produced from grapes whose vineyards are planted at 250-450 meters above sea level. Whatever your favorite production style, Vino.com will satisfy you. Are you ready to discover together the best of Valpolicella?

What can be paired with Valpolicella Ripasso?

You have chosen your favorite Valpolicella Ripasso on Vino.com and now it's time to think about the ideal dish to match. The particular manufacturing process gives the Valpolicella Ripasso a remarkable personality and an unmistakable elegance. The nose will never lack hints of rose, violet and red fruits and, sometimes, vanilla notes. Lovers of the genre appreciate it above all for the softness of its velvety body that continues in the persistence of the finish. Among the typical scents there are plum, small red fruits but also black cherry and all those fruits that contribute to accentuate the finesse of this wine. With these premises, we advise you to combine your Valpolicella Ripasso with meat-based main courses, to enhance the flavor. Therefore, avoid combining the Ripasso with delicate foods such as white meats, fish or vegetables that would risk disappearing with the combination. Ripasso della Valpolicella can give its best in combination with aged cheeses, cured meats and game. It also intensely enhances first courses with meat sauce, egg pasta and legume-based soups. Whatever the dish, remember that the intensity of the taste will always be the master when it comes to pairing with Ripasso della Valpolicella.

Which region does Valpolicella wine belong to?

Valpolicella is a production area with a high wine vocation that occupies the entire foothills of the province of Verona, in the Veneto region, and which has about 30,000 hectares, affected by 19 municipalities including 5 within the Valpolicella Classica area and another 14 that fall within the DOC. The territory of Valpolicella is very vast: it borders to the west with Lake Garda and to the north it enjoys the protection of the Lessini Mountains. The production disciplinary provides for the division of Valpolicella into three distinct areas: Valpolicella Classica which includes the municipalities of Sant'Ambrogio di Valpolicella and San Pietro in Cariano, the valleys of Fumane, Marano di Valpolicella and Negrar di Valpolicella. Then comes the sub-appellation Valpolicella Valpantena, including the homonymous valley, and finally the Valpolicella DOC, within which is the municipality of Verona, the Illasi, Tramigna and Mezzane valleys. Morphologically, Valpolicella looks like a complex amphitheater of valleys, the landscape is hilly and soft and everywhere is dominated by vineyards that rise on very rich and varied soils. A veil of mystery hangs around the origin of the name "Valpolicella". The theory that is most popular is that according to which the name derives from the Latin Vallis Polis Cellae, or the Valley of many cellars, as evidence of the ancient wine vocation of this DOC.