Valpolicella in the context of Italy (wine)

⭐ Core Definition: Valpolicella

Valpolicella (UK: /ˌvælpɒlɪˈtʃɛlə/, US: /ˌvɑːlpoʊl-, ˌvælpoʊl-/, Italian: [ˌvalpoliˈtʃɛlla]; Venetian: Valpołexeła) is a viticultural zone of the province of Verona, Italy, east of Lake Garda. The hilly agricultural and marble-quarrying region of small holdings north of the Adige is famous for wine production. Valpolicella ranks just after Chianti in total Italian denominazione di origine controllata (DOC) wine production.

The red wine known as Valpolicella is typically made from three grape varieties: Corvina Veronese, Rondinella, and Molinara. A variety of wine styles are produced in the area, including a recioto dessert wine and Amarone, a strong wine made from dried grapes. Most basic Valpolicellas are light, fragrant table wines produced in a novello style, similar to Beaujolais nouveau and released only a few weeks after harvest. Valpolicella Classico is made from grapes grown in the original Valpolicella production zone. Valpolicella Superiore is aged at least one year and has an alcohol content of at least 12 percent. Valpolicella Ripasso is a form of Valpolicella Superiore made with partially dried grape skins that have been left over from fermentation of Amarone or recioto.

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⭐ Core Definition: Valpolicella
Valpolicella in the context of Denominazioni di origine controllata
Valpolicella in the context of Amarone

Valpolicella in the context of Denominazioni di origine controllata

The following four classifications of wine constitute the Italian system of labelling and legally protecting Italian wine:

Denominazione di origine (DO, rarely used; Italian: [denominatˈtsjoːne di oˈriːdʒine]; 'designation of origin');
Indicazione geografica tipica (IGT; Italian: [indikatˈtsjoːne dʒeoˈɡraːfika ˈtiːpika]; 'indication of geographical typicality');
Denominazione di origine controllata (DOC; Italian: [denominatˈtsjoːne di oˈriːdʒine kontrolˈlaːta]; 'controlled designation of origin'); and
Denominazione di origine controllata e garantita (DOCG; Italian: [denominatˈtsjoːne di oˈriːdʒine kontrolˈlaːta e ɡɡaranˈtiːta]; 'controlled and guaranteed designation of origin').

The system was introduced in 1963 shortly after the Treaty of Rome established Italy as a founding member of the European Economic Community, and was modelled on the extant French appellation d'origine contrôlée (AOC) laws. It was overhauled in 1992 to match new European Union law on protected designation of origin, introducing the more general denominazione di origine protetta (DOP) designation for foods and agricultural products, including wines. Further EU reforms to harmonise agricultural policy in 2008 meant that designations used in member states, and thus Italian designations, were registered with the EU by the end of 2011, with subsequent new denominations or elevations approved by the EU.

View the full Wikipedia page for Denominazioni di origine controllata

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Valpolicella in the context of Amarone

Amarone della Valpolicella, usually known as Amarone (UK: /ˌæməˈroʊneɪ, -ni/, Italian: [amaˈroːne]), is an Italian DOCG denomination of typically rich dry red wine made from the partially dried grapes of the Corvina (45–95%, of which up to 50% could be substituted with Corvinone), Rondinella (5–30%) and other approved red grape varieties (up to 25%).

Valpolicella is in the province of Verona, within the large Veneto region.

View the full Wikipedia page for Amarone

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