During ancient Roman times it was common to allow grapes grown in the southern part of Italy to turn to sugar, which produced a fortified wine which traveled well with Roman Armies on the march throughout most of the then known world. This did not work as well in the cooler climates of the north, where the grapes had to be picked earlier, so a new practice of storing the grapes in barns, where they were allowed to dry out before pressing, was adopted and introduced into the area around Verona. This method of first drying and then pressing the grapes is used today in the Valpolicella wine region of Italy to produce the highly sought after Amarone Wines.

Valpolicella is made from the three grape varieties Corvina Veronese, Rondinella and Molinara, and is usually produced in what we think of as the normal vinting process. The result is a light and fresh red table wine. However, after normal fermentation the wine is sometimes placed in casks containing the lees from a prior batch of Recioto or Recioto Amarone. The process called Ripasso takes a few weeks and adds color, tannins and more complex flavors. The result is a wine of darker color with a more full and richer flavor. I like to call the Ripasso made Valpolicellas, the poor man's Amarone, as the price is much lower than the normal fifty dollar and up Amarone.

We have two very good examples of this style of wine in our store. One is the 2005 Zenato Ripassa Valpolicella which has received numerous accolades from the national wine press over the last few years, and is a terrific example of this style of wine. However, I would like to talk to you about the newer and less expensive entry into our store, and which also is a wine new to the Atlanta market place.

This is the 2004 Recchia Le Muraie Ripasso Valpolicella, which I recently tasted and fell in love with! This is a full bodied wine just bursting with the flavor of blueberries, sweet cherries and the characteristic slight raisin taste often found in Amarone. The finish is spicy with soft tannins which linger on until the next sip! This would be great with roasted duck or any heavily sauced veal dish!

World Beverage
6190 Highway 400
Cumming, GA 30040
678-513-6284