Valpolicella DOC / Amarone della Valpolicella DOCG
The Veneto's celebrated red-wine valley north of Verona, home to the appassimento-dried wines Amarone and Recioto della Valpolicella.
About Valpolicella DOC / Amarone della Valpolicella
Valpolicella, the rolling hill country north of Verona, is defined by the appassimento method — drying selected Corvina, Corvinone and Rondinella grapes for roughly 120 days on racks or in lofts before fermentation. The result is a family of wines ranging from fresh, cherry-toned Valpolicella to the powerful, raisined dry red Amarone and the sweet Recioto. The historic Classico zone in the valleys of Fumane, Marano and Negrar is regarded as the qualitative core, where limestone and volcanic soils and the cooling influence of Lake Garda combine. Amarone and Recioto were elevated to DOCG status in December 2009, recognising the precision the drying process demands. Producers such as Giuseppe Quintarelli, whose patient cellar-aging became a benchmark for the region, and Allegrini helped reframe Amarone as one of Italy's great collectible reds, balancing concentration with structure and longevity.
Terroir & regulation
Principal producers
- Giuseppe Quintarelli
- Allegrini
- Dal Forno Romano
- Tommasi
- Masi
Editorial notes
Amarone (dry) and Recioto (sweet) both rely on appassimento drying, which concentrates sugar and phenolics; Amarone Riserva requires four years of aging.