Amarone della Valpolicella: The Dried-Grape Red of the Veneto
A red wine from the hills north of Verona, made from grapes left to dry for months before they are pressed.
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Drying the grapes
Amarone is defined by one step. After harvest, the grapes are not pressed straight away but laid out to dry, a process called appassimento. As they lose water, their sugar, flavour and colour concentrate. The wine made from them is full-bodied, rich and dry. The name comes from amaro, bitter, to set it apart from the sweet wine of the same grapes.
For Covalli Amarone, the selected grapes dry in ventilated rooms for about three months, are pressed, and ferment for around 30 days in temperature-controlled steel tanks. The wine then ages in medium and large oak casks for at least three years and rests at least six months in bottle.
The grapes and the place
Amarone della Valpolicella is a DOCG from the Valpolicella hills, north of Verona. Its grapes are native varieties led by Corvina. Covalli Amarone is 50% Corvina Veronese, 30% Corvinone, 15% Rondinella and 5% Cabernet, grown on clay and calcareous soil.
In the glass
Covalli Amarone is intense red with garnet flecks, with a typical aroma of red fruit jam, a spicy finish and a full, velvety body. See the wine.
At the table
Amarone is made for rich cooking: strongly flavoured meats, braises and game, and aged cheeses. Serve it at 18 °C, and open it well ahead of the meal.
