What's the main difference between Valpolicella and Amarone?

abefroman · Feb 4, 2011

What's the main difference between Valpolicella and Amarone? Is one better than the other?

TIA

robie · Feb 4, 2011

Wikipedia has a nice write up on Valpolicella, which is made from three different grapes. Valpolicella is actually a wine growing region.

Valpolicella is drunk much younger than amarone should be.

ibglowin · Feb 4, 2011

Probably the biggest difference would be the use of partially dried grapes (almost Raisins) in Amarone. This is also known as the Ripasso method. Some of the higher end Valpolicella's also use a portion of grapes that have been dried as well to concentrate the flavor.

deboard · Feb 4, 2011

Never had an Amarone, but reading about it on wikipedia it seems that Amarone is a higher alcohol wine similar to port, but what you will find labeled as Valpolicella is a standard wine, normally about 12-13% alcohol. I have had Valpolicella and it's one of my favorites. Bolla makes a very inexpensive one that is actually very good (at least to my unrefined tastes).

Runningwolf · Feb 4, 2011

ibglowin said:
Probably the biggest difference would be the use of partially dried grapes (almost Raisins) in Amarone. This is also known as the Ripasso method.

Around here that would be called Ice Wine.

ibglowin · Feb 4, 2011

Ha! They actually dry them on racks indoors. :sm

abefroman · Feb 4, 2011

Yep, that wikipedia article is pretty good.

I just had a glass of 2008 Ripasso Valpolicella, the predominent taste was spice, does that hold true with Amarone?

ibglowin · Feb 4, 2011

Vanilla cinnamon is one of the notes of Amarone, as is black currants, cherry, cedar, tobacco, hazelnut, chocolate.......

Lots of good notes which is why Amarone is a favorite of the home winemaker.

Lurker · Feb 4, 2011

I like Amarone, but why is it that I never taste all of those things in wine?

Wade E · Feb 4, 2011

Richard, some of us arent as super sensitive when it comes to taste buds. There are actually people called super tasters whose taste buds are extremely sensitive to stuff like this and it can be a good or a bad thing depending. These people can usually taste all this stuff but some things we like will be extremely nasty to them It is said they usually hate stuff like Broccoli and stuff like that s its very pungent to them. Usually the grapes in an Amarone are sun dried on planks.

ibglowin · Feb 4, 2011

Your not practicing enough Richard!

Lurker said:
I like Amarone, but why is it that I never taste all of those things in wine?

Tom · Feb 4, 2011

Guess he needs to do some amarone tasting HERE

roblloyd · Feb 4, 2011

Never having tried it. And hearing such great things about, what's the best amorone? Are the kits worth the money or juice buckets etc... How do I make the best one?

ibglowin · Feb 4, 2011

The CC Showcase, MM AJ, Masters, Meglioli and RJS Winery are all VERY good. That said , you should expect to wait for 18 mo to 2 years for them to mature. These are not "early drinkers"!

roblloyd said:
Never having tried it. And hearing such great things about, what's the best amorone? Are the kits worth the money or juice buckets etc... How do I make the best one?

vinividivici · Feb 5, 2011

ibglowin said:
The CC Showcase, MM AJ, Masters, Meglioli and RJS Winery are all VERY good. That said , you should expect to wait for 18 mo to 2 years for them to mature. These are not "early drinkers"!

Mike,

Who's a good online supplier of RJ Spagnols? I'd like to order a Valpolicella kit after reading this thread!

Cheers!

Bob

homer · Feb 5, 2011

ibglowin said:
Vanilla cinnamon is one of the notes of Amarone, as is black currants, cherry, cedar, tobacco, hazelnut, chocolate.......

Wade E said:

Richard, some of us arent as super sensitive when it comes to taste buds. There are actually people called super tasters whose taste buds are extremely sensitive to stuff like this and it can be a good or a bad thing depending. These people can usually taste all this stuff

Buuut, are those flavors really there and if so, how do they get there. Chocolate, tobacco, cherries, come on, really.

Click to expand...

abefroman · Feb 5, 2011

vinividivici said:
Mike,

Who's a good online supplier of RJ Spagnols? I'd like to order a Valpolicella kit after reading this thread!

Cheers!

Bob

For Valpo go with this one:
http://www.finevinewines.com/p-1899-24808.aspx

For Amarone go with this:
http://www.finevinewines.com/p-2934-me78a.aspx
or this:
http://www.finevinewines.com/p-1955-ep6.aspx

ibglowin · Feb 5, 2011

Here is the link to the Cellar Craft Showcase Amarone.

Amarone with Super Pack

Amarone Tips

It comes with a 2.6L "Super Pack" that contains both Raisins and Grapes! You for sure need a 7.8 Gal Primary for this guy. My first Amarone was the Mosti AJ with Raisins. It is 18 mo old and fantastic. The next time around I will probably go with the Cellar Craft Showcase kit due to the larger Super Pack.

ibglowin · Feb 5, 2011

Too funny, that sounds just like something Homer Simpson would actually say!

homer said:
Buuut, are those flavors really there and if so, how do they get there. Chocolate, tobacco, cherries, come on, really.

vinividivici · Feb 5, 2011

Thanks, Mike and Abe, for the links and info. Can't wait to do both of them.

Bob

What's the main difference between Valpolicella and Amarone?

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