Look at the process
Amarone
Two bottles of Amarone.
Amarone della Valpolicella, usually known as
Amarone, is a typically rich
Italian dry
red wine made from the partially dried
grapes of the
Corvina (40% – 70%),
Rondinella (20% – 40%) and
Molinara (5% – 25%)
varieties. The wine was assigned
Denominazione di Origine Controllata (DOC) status in December 1990. On 4 December 2009, Amarone and
Recioto della Valpolicella were promoted to the status of
Denominazione di Origine Controllata e Garantita (DOCG). Total production for sale (including Recioto) in 2008 was 8.57 million bottles.
[1] The name
Amarone, in Italian, literally means "the Great Bitter"; this was originally to distinguish it from the Recioto produced in the same region, which is sweeter in taste.
Process[
Grapes are
harvested ripe in the first two weeks of October, by carefully choosing bunches having fruits not too close to each other, to let the air flow. Grapes are allowed to dry, traditionally on
straw mats. This process is called
appassimento or
rasinate (to dry and shrivel) in Italian. This concentrates the remaining sugars and flavours and is similar to the production of French Vin de Paille. The
pomace left over from
pressing off the Amarone is used in the production of
Ripasso Valpolicellas.
Modern Amarone is now produced in special drying chambers under controlled conditions. This approach minimizes the amount of handling of the grapes and helps prevent the onset of
Botrytis cinerea. In Amarone, the quality of the grape skin is a primary concern as that component brings the
tannins, color and intensity of flavor to the wine. The process of
desiccation not only concentrates the juices within the grape but also increases the skin contact of the grapes. The drying process further
metabolizes the
acids within the grape and creates a
polymerization of the tannins in the skin which contribute to the overall balance of the finished wine.
[2]
The length of the drying process is typically 120 days but varies according to producer and the quality of the
harvest. The most evident consequence of this process is the loss of weight: 35 to 45% for Corvina grapes, 30 to 40% for Molinara and 27 to 40% for Rondinella. Following drying, end of January/beginning of February, the grapes are crushed and go through a dry low temperature
fermentation process which can last up to 30/50 days. The reduced water content can slow down the fermentation process, increasing the risk of spoilage and potential
wine faults such as high
volatile acidity. After fermentation, the wine is then aged in
barriques made from either
French,
Slovenian or Slavonian
oak.
[2]
Variations
If
fermentation is stopped early, the resulting wine will contain
residual sugar (more than 4 grams of sugar per litre) and produce a
sweeter wine known as
Recioto della Valpolicella. Recioto was the traditional wine produced according to this method, and Amarone originally was Recioto wines that had fermented for too long. Unlike Amarone, Recioto della Valpolicella can also be used to produce a
sparkling wine.
[3] Ripasso is an Italian wine produced when the partially aged Valpolicella is contacted with the
pomace of the Amarone. This will typically take place in the spring following the harvest. The resulting wine is more tannic, with a deeper color, more alcohol and more extract. The word
Ripasso designates both the
winemaking technique and the wine, and is usually found on a
wine label.
[3]
Characteristics and faults
The final result is a very ripe, raisiny, full-bodied wine with very little acid.
Alcohol content easily surpasses 15% (the legal minimum is 14%) and the resulting wine is rarely released until five years after the vintage, even though this is not a legal requirement. The labor intensive process poses significant risk for the development of various
wine faults. Wet and rainy weather during harvest can cause the grapes to rot before drying out which then requires winemakers to be diligent in removing rotted bunches, which can cause moldy flavors in the wine.
[4]
NOW THAT YOU HAVE SEEN THE PROCESS, WHAT DO YOU THINK,THE RAISINS GO INTO THE SECONDARY ,THATS IF YOU CHOSE TO USE RAISINS, I DO AND I'll PUT MINE UP AGAINST ANY Commercial OR OTHER AMARONE OUT THERE,WE NEED TO IMPROVISE AND MAKE USE OF WHAT'S AT OUR DISPOSAL,THAT'S WHAT WINE MAKINGS ALL ABOUT,AS FOR THE MANUFACTURES,THEY IN THE LONG RUN LEARN FROM US, BY SALES VOLUME,AND FROM FEED BACK, AND ERROR,YOU WOULD HAVE NEVER SEEN POWDERED OAK IN THE DISTANT PAST, YET ALONE GRAPE SKINS IN A KIT,AND I STILL DON'T SEE HOW GRAPE SKINS WORK.
USED? CAN'T IN PART ANY USEFULNESS INTO THE WINE OTHER THAN COLOR,BUT THAT'S JUST MY OPPION.
YOU HAVE TO ASK YOURSELF WHERE DID THEY COME FROM AND WHAT HAPPENED TO THE INSIDE?
AFTER ALL THEY ARE DEHYDRATED .THE VOLUME OF SOLIDS IN FRESH JUICE ISN'T WHAT IT USE TO BE,AND SO WE AUGMENT AND CREATE THIS AND THAT TO ENHANCE THE FINAL PRODUCT, I THINK ,THINKING OUT SIDE THE BOX IS WHAT GOOD WINE MAKERS DO ALL THE TIME AND THE WINERIES I'm AFFILIATED WITH TRY THEIR BEST TO OVER COME MANY OBSTACLE'S,WELL i'LL GET OF MY SOAP BOX NOW SORRY FOR THE RANTING,JUST AN OLD WINO WITH THOUGHTS....