| I have heard the same story from many customers. A couple of years ago, they were burned out on their standby bottles of Cab or Merlot and wanted to try a wine that was off the beaten path and exotic. After summoning the courage to enter our Italian section, they spotted a bottle of Valpolicella. The bottle was exactly what they were looking for: imported (cool), hard to pronounce (even cooler), and available in a big bottle (the coolest). Excitedly, the consumer buys the bottle and orders pizza on the way home. "It's going ot be an Italian night!" However, something strange happens after they have opened the bottle and tried a sip or two of the new wine. The Valpolicella was really mediocre and quite forgettable. "Next time I'm going back to Merlot," they say.
When I talk and teach about Valpolicella, this is the majority of the feedback that I have received. It's sad that this great wine region has a middle-of the road reputation, but it might be warranted. While the American consumer was growing wine savvy a couple of decades ago, the only Valpolicellas available were mass produced and fairly bland, so many consumers tried the average juice available and then moved on to better and more exciting wine. The time has come for everyone to come back and retry Valpolicella! Buster's lead purchaser, Morgan Hammond, flew to Italy earlier this year and brought back some amazing wines from the Valpolicella region. However, before trying wine fom this region, it is important to have a grasp on its background.
Valpolicella can only be grown in the Veneto region in northeastern Italy. As with many wine regions in the "Old World", the Valpolicella region is highly regulated by their government. For a wine to be considered Valpolicella, the grapes must be grown in a small area in the northeastern section of Italy, just north of the city Verona. The grape blend in Valpolicella must be 40 to 70 percent Corvina, 20 to 40 percent Rondinella, and 5 to 25 percent Molinara. To be recognized as Valpolicella, the wine cannot have too much or too little of any of the grape varietals. From the Valpolicella region, three major types of wine are produced- the entry level Valplicella Classico, the medium-bodied ripasso style Valpolicella, and the powerful Amarone della Valpolicella.
Valpolicella Classico is a straightforward wine that is known for its bright red cherry nose with a strong backbone of acidity and minerality that makes it exremely food friendly. Amarone, the big brother of the region, can contribute its stature and power from not only the quality of grapes but also innovative winemaking techniques. Only produced during the best growing years, the premium grapes used for Amarone are picked up then dried out for the next three to four months. The drying process concentrates the flavors of the grape and will also increase the sugar level, which will lead to a higher alcohol level in the wine. Amarone is a big concentrated, and complex wine that is equal to any full-bodied red wine prduced in the world. The ripasso-made method Valpolicella is a good compromise in between Valpolicella Classico and Amarone in terms of taste, price, and even winemaking . In the ripasso method, regular Valpolicella goes through a second fermentation while in contact with desposits from the fermentation of Amarone. The result is bigger and brawnier wine, but not remotely as concentrated as an Amarone. All three types of wine from the Valpolicella region warrant trying if you are not familiar with the area, or retrying if that big, cheap bottle of Valpolicella left a forgettable taste in your mouth many years ago.
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