Save Money$$$ - Make Your Own

[MajBob]

Well, I'm in a state of shock! I just got back from scouring all Liquor/Wine Stores in Southern Maryland looking specifically for some Barolo. I finally found some at the World Wine Shoppe in Waldorf - and the least expensive bottle is $46! The average was around $65. I'm still in shock!


My first batch of wine is a GranBarolo Master's Edition. Thought it would be nice to have a couple of different bottles of commercial wine to comparewith when mine is ready. So, I guess that will be one bottle.


We bought a bottle of Bene Di Batasiolo Barolo 2003 ($46) and a bottle ofAmarone Della Valpolicella Classico 2003 ($28), and called it a day. I could just about buy a whole kit from George for that amount and make 30 bottles! Am I ever glad I decided to try my hand at making wine myself. It's this - or the 5 liter boxes . . .


Cheers!


Oops - this should have been posted in the General Section of winemaking. Sorry - I don't know how to move it??


Thanks!Edited by: MajBob

 

[mississippi mud]

I know the feeling bob it kills me to drop 65 on a few bottles. Especially when what I have aging already taste betteror just as goodas most.

 

[grapeman]

And when you find yours you make are even better than the expensive ones, you will enjoy yours even more.


Hope I moved this where you wanted it......

 

[Tomy]

Thats for sure appleman. Hi Maj Bob & welcome to the forum. I know I can make better wine than Mad Dog 20/20, as my wife said so. Tomy

Edited by: Tomy

 

[jerry]

MAD DOG 20/20 ! my high school favorite. {30 years ago} And I can still taste that horrible stuff.

 

[Wade E]

Thats weird that you found an Amarone that cheap as those are typically way up there also. My bet is that the Amarone that you just boght wont be that good bu I bet the Barolo will be good.

 

[gc605]

if you don't feel like dropping 65 bones on a barolo, you could always go for a nebbiolo--same grape for about a third of the price!

 

[moose]

We ended up doing the same thing MajBob. Looked all over the place for a bottle of Barolo. Every place we went to theytold us the same thing. "Never heard of it, are you sure that's what it's called." Finally found a store 60 miles away that had it. $57 for it.

 

[onin24eagle]

Idid the same thing on my first kit, a Malbec. I had never heard of a Malbec, and apparently the usual places to buy wine hadn't either. I was wanting to at least try one to see if I was making 30 bottles of something I would hate. Finally my local supermarket had one bin of Malbec for $9.99. Turns out I like Malbec, and thankfully it's not priced like your Barolo.

 

[MajBob]

My wife just loves Sangria made with MD2020. Of course, she's always felt a fateful inclination to 2020 - she was born and raised in our nation's capitol - zip codes there are typically 2020x and the area code is 202 . . .


Iwent back and re-read the labels on the wine purchased yesterday - the Amarone actually says in tiny letters below Amarone "Della Valpolicella". Is that a real "Amarone" - or a "Valpolicella" from the Amarone region?? Boy, do I have a lot to learn . . .

Oh, and thanks Appleman, for moving this thread to it's proper location.


Cheers!

 

[jobe05]

Iwent back and re-read the labels on the wine purchased yesterday - the Amarone actually says in tiny letters below Amarone "Della Valpolicella". Is that a real "Amarone" - or a "Valpolicella" from the Amarone region??

Great question Bob. I have always wondered that myself.

 

[JWMINNESOTA]

An Amarone from the Valpolicella region I believe, lose translation would be Amarone of the Valpolicella.

 

[gc605]

the valpolicella region is around venice

 

[Wade E]

JW is correct. I had to do some researching on this subject as I have a Valpolicella Ripassa in bottle and an Amarone bulking and this subject just made me more curious. There are actually a few wines in this category and this region that almost the same with different attenuations to it.
1st is the Valpolicella Classico which is a lightly fruity wine with little tannins and usually fermented in steel tanks.
2nd is the Valpolicella Superiore which is made from the same grapes but is aged in wooden barrels which gains a much more structured and interesting body.
3rd is the Vapolicella Ripassa which again is made from the same grapes again but instead of the wooden barrels they use the stems and seeds from the grapes to gain the light tannins and this technique is called "Ripassa"
4th is the Amarone Della Valpolicella (Recoito)in which are still made from the same grapes but when harvested set on wooden racks to dry until late fall when process of evaporation has caused all the juices concentrate and the malic acid has been consumed. After fermentation this wine is aged in wooden barrels. This wine is sweet and strong with at least 14% abv and well rounded tannins.
Finally we come to the true Amarone which again is made from the same grapes(40-70% Corvina Veronese, Rondinella 20-40%, and Molinara 5-20%. there are typically complimentary varietals added to these such as Sangiovese, Barbera and a few others. This wine is thought to be a a failed Recioto as that wine is halted to leave a sweeter wine. The Amarone is fermented dry and is quite bitter hence the name(Amaro means bitter). The process of fermenting to dryness changes the overtones and flavors of this wine to the point where it is much more complex. Hope this helps you all as I have sure learned from researching this subject.
So to sum it up what you bought is most likely a sweeter and less bitter version of the Amarone.


Edited by: wade

 

[joeswine]

THIS YEAR I"AM GOING TO MAKE THE MELBEC FROM CHILEAN JUICE AMD THE AMARONE FROM ITALIAN JUICE<CHILEAN IN APRIL<ITALIAN IN SEPTEMBER>,PLUS SOME OTHERS OF COURSE<JOBE I'AM GETTING READY TO START TASTEING AGAIN///BE IN TOUCH ,MAY BE WE CAN DO A FALL TASTING<WHAT DO YOU THINK PEOPLE?Edited by: joeswine