Appellation: Amarone

A rich, high-alcohol Veneto red made from grapes dried for months before fermentation.

Amarone della Valpolicella is defined by appassimento: after harvest, the Corvina-led grapes are laid out to dry for several months, losing water and concentrating their sugars, flavors, and tannins. Only then are they pressed and fermented, yielding a wine of remarkable depth and warmth.

The result is full-bodied and potent, with dried cherry and fig, chocolate, and a characteristic hint of bitterness — Amarone means "the great bitter one." It is one of Italy's most distinctive and powerful dry reds.