Situated a few miles north of Verona, between the Lessini mountains in the north, the Garda lake to the west and the Adige plain and Verona in the south, it is divided into the Classico region, the historic center, to the west and a larger area to the east, bordering the Soave region. This non-classico zone is nevertheless home to several elite producers, such as Dal Forno.
The Classico region, which we've visited many times already, centers around hill ridges and the valleys and towns between: Fumane, Marano and Negrar.
(view south on Fumane and the ridge east of it)Hilly and pleasantly rural compared to the nearby tourist hubs of the Lago di Garda and Verona, the Valpolicella is dominated by vineyards, cherry trees (cherry blossom is a lovely time to visit!) and olive groves. If you factor in the moderate climate, a far cry from the humidity of the nearby lake, it is a delight that it is not yet the center of everyone's attention as, say, Tuscany might be. But when you focus on the wines, as I will do henceforth, that circumstance seems almost surprising.
(view south on Fumane and the ridge west of it)Most vineyards in the region still showcase the traditional growing method of the Trentino bower, where the vine grows about six to seven feet high and then divides in a Y-shape, aided by a framework. However, as this method necessitates careful foliage management and is prone to high yields, many quality producers are switching to the Guyot method, especially with new plantings.
The grape varieties of the Valpolicella are as typical as they are traditional and rarely found outside of the region. The famous reds, from the humble table wine to the calibers of Amarone and Recioto, all share a similar make-up of red grapes. Of these Corvina is the most common and is responsible for the range of cherry aromas found in many Valpolicella wines. In the DOC wines it has to provide 70% of juice together with its heavier clone Corvinone. A number of smaller grape varieties complete the wines: Molinara, Rondinella, Croatina, Oselata are names you will hardly find outside of the region, and even there they very rarely play more than a supporting role.
(what's left after the harvest)
International varieties have made their way to the region as well, particularly the usual suspects of Cabernet and Merlot. These are perhaps most promising in the sometimes still experimental wines that combine the traditional and the French varieties and are usually designated IGT.
And in case anyone is wondering why white varieties have not been mentioned yet, that is not an oversight by me - compared to the range of reds they play a minor role at best. Sometimes the Italian allrounders Garganega and Trebbiano are used in table wines, more often they are made into a dessert wine, parrallel to the red Recioto - but more on that later.
The grape varieties of the Valpolicella are as typical as they are traditional and rarely found outside of the region. The famous reds, from the humble table wine to the calibers of Amarone and Recioto, all share a similar make-up of red grapes. Of these Corvina is the most common and is responsible for the range of cherry aromas found in many Valpolicella wines. In the DOC wines it has to provide 70% of juice together with its heavier clone Corvinone. A number of smaller grape varieties complete the wines: Molinara, Rondinella, Croatina, Oselata are names you will hardly find outside of the region, and even there they very rarely play more than a supporting role.
(what's left after the harvest)International varieties have made their way to the region as well, particularly the usual suspects of Cabernet and Merlot. These are perhaps most promising in the sometimes still experimental wines that combine the traditional and the French varieties and are usually designated IGT.
And in case anyone is wondering why white varieties have not been mentioned yet, that is not an oversight by me - compared to the range of reds they play a minor role at best. Sometimes the Italian allrounders Garganega and Trebbiano are used in table wines, more often they are made into a dessert wine, parrallel to the red Recioto - but more on that later.
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