Why does an Amarone cost 100 francs?
Three months of drying, a 40 percent loss, four years of ageing: the price of an Amarone lies in the work, not the label. How one of Italy's great red wines is made from shrivelled grapes in the hills near Verona, and why its little brother at 29 francs is the smartest buy in the range.
A method from before the fridge
Valpolicella lies between Verona and Lake Garda. The everyday wine from there is light, cherry-scented, uncomplicated. But for centuries, winemakers have made something else from part of the harvest: they lay the best grapes on wooden or bamboo racks in airy attics, the fruttai, and let them dry until January.
In the process, the grapes lose 30 to 40 percent of their water. Sugar, acidity and aromas concentrate. What is then fermented is no longer ordinary must but a thick syrup. The method is called appassimento.
Amarone: the bitter one
Originally, these grapes were made into a sweet wine, the Recioto. The story goes that Amarone came about from a barrel of Recioto that was forgotten and kept fermenting: all the sugar turned to alcohol. Instead of sweet, the wine was dry and bitter, "amaro". Hence the name.
An Amarone has 15 to 16 percent alcohol, smells of dried plum, cherry jam, chocolate and tobacco, and despite all that power isn't heavy, because the Corvina grape brings acidity. The Angelo DiVino Amarone della Valpolicella Riserva, CHF 99.90, is such a wine: Riserva means at least four years of ageing before release. It goes with game, braises and mature cheese, and it's the wine you open when there's a reason to.
Ripasso: the smart buy
After the Amarone is made, a pomace remains in the vat, the pressed skins of the dried grapes. There is still sugar, colour and aroma in it. Winemakers add the ordinary, young Valpolicella to it and let it ferment a second time. "Ripasso" means "passed over again".
The wine picks up part of the Amarone character in the process: more body, more alcohol, dried fruit, warmth. But it stays more approachable, lighter, and costs a fraction of the price. The Ripasso Classico Superiore, CHF 28.90, is therefore the wine we recommend when someone asks for "something full-bodied to go with dinner".
The comparison
| Valpolicella | Ripasso | Amarone | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Grapes | fresh | fresh, second fermentation on Amarone pomace | dried for 3 months |
| Alcohol | 12 to 13% | 13.5 to 14.5% | 15 to 16% |
| Character | light, cherry-scented | warm, spicy, dried fruit | concentrated, chocolate, long ageing |
| With food | pasta, pizza, antipasti | roasts, ragù, hard cheese | game, braises, on its own in the evening |
| From our range | Piccolo Angelo, CHF 32.90 | Ripasso Classico Superiore, CHF 28.90 | Angelo DiVino Riserva, CHF 99.90 |
Same principle, different region
Drying grapes also happens in the south: Cuore di Tenebra Rosso Passito, CHF 42.90, from Apulia, with Primitivo instead of Corvina. Softer than an Amarone, more southern, a good way into the style.
Serving
Open Amarone an hour before the meal, 17 degrees, large glasses. It keeps two to three days once opened and is often better on the second day. Ripasso needs no preparation: open, 16 degrees, pour.
