Amarone della Valpolicella

🇮🇹 Italy

DOCG

DOCG 2009 - Appassimento dried-grape technique, 100-120 day drying, 40% mass loss, 15-16% alcohol powerhouse

0 venues 0 trails

Region profile

History

Appassimento winemaking technique dates to ancient Greeks in Valpolicella. The label "Amarone" coined by Adelino Lucchese 1936. Wine was "discovered" accidentally in 1936 when a barrel of Recioto (sweet wine) fermented completely dry, creating the first Amarone. Not marketed as "Amarone" before 1953. Assigned DOC status December 1990. Promoted to DOCG December 4, 2009 alongside Recioto della Valpolicella. Production boom began 1990s when American wine media highlighted the typology's uniqueness. Became one of better-known Italian wines worldwide.

Climate
Continental Veneto; Valpolicella zone north of Verona; 3 sub-zones: Classico (historic heart), Valpantena (eastern valley), Extended (plains); hillside vineyards 150-500m; fruttaio drying rooms; December-February fermentation post-drying
Signature wines
Amarone della Valpolicella DOCG (dried-grape appassimento, 2-year aging, 15-16% alcohol, cherry/chocolate/dried fruit); Amarone Riserva (4-year aging minimum); top producers include Cantina Negrar, Allegrini, Dal Forno Romano, Masi, Bertani
What sets it apart
Appassimento dried-grape technique - grapes dried 100-120 days losing 40% mass in fruttaio (drying rooms) on plastic crates/wooden slats/bamboo racks; ancient Greek origins; accidentally discovered 1936 from Recioto fermented dry; 18 million bottles annually; DOCG 2009; 322 bottlers mostly small-scale; 12 tonnes/hectare max yield, only 65% best grapes used; December-February fermentation post-drying; full-bodied 15-16% alcohol dry wine from sweet grapes

Facts

  • 18 million bottles annually
  • DOCG 2009 (promoted from DOC 1990)
  • 322 bottlers (75% produce <100k bottles/year)
  • 12 tonnes/hectare maximum yield
  • must pick only 65% best grapes
  • grapes dried 100-120 days losing 40% mass
  • appassimento technique ancient Greek origins
  • coined "Amarone" 1936 Adelino Lucchese
  • discovered accidentally 1936 from Recioto that fermented dry
  • production boom 1990s American wine media
  • Cantina Negrar 700ha, 230 growers, 16 million bottles

Region profile from the Wine Memories wine-data corpus · verified January 2026