Valpolicella: Rosso, Ripasso, and Amarone Explored and Tasted

[@garyglitta]

I travelled to Lake Garda in 2011 and fell in love with the wines - especially Ripasso. Spent a few warm summer evenings sipping Amarone outside at picturesque little enotecas, chatting to the locals and eating aged cheese and charcuterie. It’s one of the most beautiful places on earth, imo, and the locals are so friendly and warm. I think of this holiday whenever I drink the wines of the region ❤

[@arg6831]

We just got back from our Valpolicella trip with several cases of Amarone, Ripasso, Recioto and Passito. Always a joy to visit some of the lovely vineyards in the region. Some even put the Taralli’s in the Recioto to let them soak up the wine. Cheers!

[@BobLindquist]

You brought back wonderful memories of our wine tasting at Tedeschi in October 2019, fortunately in our cellar we have 2 2013 Monti Olmi and 2 2016 Marne 180. We enjoy your presentations, thanks

[@markashworth983]

Valpolicella Ripasso is one of my most favorite wines. Good episode!

[@opusgazelle]

I've been a fan of Tedeschi wines for a long time and love all styles of Valpolicella - that bitter cherry character is totally addictive.

[@Big1Doc]

So great to see you making a video about Valpolicella wines! They are one the first wines I fell in love with and I hold them in high regard to this day!

[@carlcadregari7768]

Thank you again! I’m a fan of all the styles. The amarone recioto was the first sweet red I had from Italy, and I think still my favorite one out of all the other passito’s I’ve had.

[@David34981]

I love Italian wine, would like to see it featured more often in your channel. Including the more southern areas and islands, Italy is so beautiful and every region has interesting wines.

[@bredweren]

A classic Valpolicella Superiore is one of the nicest wines one can drink. Enough complexity to be interesting, but drinkable and not overwhelming. Go for Zymè or Zenato.

[@matttinney8159]

Valpolicella are my favourite wines after German Riesling. We just had Vancouver International Wine Festival in March featuring the wines of Italy and of course there were luscious Amarones but also many fantastic Valpolicella rosso wines for unbeatable value - in multiple cases, under $20 CAD.

[@matteobossi]

I'm a northern Italian and Amarone is the wine that started my journey in this strange and fascinating world. Nowadays I'm a sommelier and my taste changed quite a bit, but drinking an Amarone always takes me back to those early days and nostalgia kicks strong. Amarone, Ripasso and Valpolicella are far from my favorite wines, but they hold a very special place in my heart ❤

[@RoDrom420]

so what is your favorite italian wine?

[@marcgabor9690]

Same here! Amarone was one of my first loves and is still special to me even though my taste has evolved.

[@numanuma20]

What part? My grandma was from Udine.

[@elfblood9127]

One of my first forays into drinking wine was a Valpolicella at a great, authentic, Italian restaurant around the corner from where I lived at the time. I was primarily a beer drinker back then - 1980-1981 - but I kept trying out different wines offered there to go with my meals. I don't remember too much about it except that I enjoyed it quite a bit. The wine-drinking experiences that I had there definitely contributed to me feeling more and more comfortable with drinking wine and eventually becoming primarily a wine-drinker (although I still enjoy a good stout or porter from time to time). Thanks for covering this. Very informative and somewhat nostalgic.

[@sabrinatedeschi117]

Many thanks for this great video and explanation! I invite to visi the Valpolicella to discover the great wines from our region! Grazie mille!

[@clydeblair9622]

A great episode! I first bought a Bertani Valpolicella Valpantena in the early 1970s. Loved them ever since. We do big amarone and ripasso business at my shop. The appasimento process can even produce affordable like wines.

[@seminky5341]

Amarone was the wine that changed my perception of Italian wine. I always had bad luck with italian wine as i dont know the types. One day, my friend introduced me to Amarone corte aleardi reserva ( a nobody in valpolocella). Im tellint you, the wine changed it all. Its the best wine for me after Brunello

[@georgeliapis47]

Love how your videos really travel us to unexplored places, even for 15-20 mins. Love to unwind by watching them, always stay thirsty!

[@numanuma20]

Valpolicella may not be the most attractive wines but I’ve grown to love it. Started out with La Giaretta Amarone Valpolicella and thought it tasted it like petroleum jelly. I eventually tried Tommasi Valpolicella Classico Superiore and was hooked. I’ve gotten back into Amarone and love it.

[@peteT269]

Have you had much Sforzato from Valtellina? Made in the same way as Amarone but using nebbiolo. Combined with the mountain environment, I find the wines fresher, more lively and just overall more exciting.

[@AnarchoKapital]

Thanks for bringing Sforzato up. Didn’t know it before. Can you please recommend some producers at around 20€?

[@KonstantinBaumMasterofWine]

I haven’t tasted many

[@frency15789]

An important remark: the name ROSSO doesn't exist in the italian wine DOC, it is just called Valpolicella. It can have the additional name "classico" if it comes from the classical valpolicella area, but valpolicella rosso does not exist.

[@KonstantinBaumMasterofWine]

That’s true.

[@karlinggard]

Quality Valpolicella wines deserve proper recognition in my opinion. Tedeschi is a great example of what Valpolicella should be!

[@seminky5341]

I have tried Tedeschin all range. Not as great as MaSi

[@QualeQualeson]

Valpolicella was the first, and only wine I ever heard about in my childhood home. It was my mom's favourite. She loved saying Valpolicella. This was in the 80'ies and she didn't know anything about wine. My parents were working class. They drank beer and spirits to get shitfaced. Storytime over.

[@gabrielghintuiala3767]

Had Ripasso Tedeschi about 2 years ago. Very good value for money.

[@luizaugustoandradedealvare7177]

Excelente video! Amarone is one of my favorites. Very exclusive because of Apassimento. I recommend you to taste Quintarelli Giuseppe Amarone Della Valpolicella, the real pinnacle. Cheers!

[@seminky5341]

That is too expensive

[@Blue_8800]

Visited the region just last week...what an experience,highly recommended...I love the Amarone but not a wine to drink alone with 16,5 alcohol. They really need to offer more half bottles. Ripasso is a great alternative

[@serdarhizal2349]

Your admiration to Italian food over Italian wine won at 1:42. Thank you for the video Konstantin.

[@schmup53]

That Tedeschi amarone is more than $100 a bottle where I live. Would love to try it. Thanks for this video!

[@winterB92]

Loved the video love valpolicella and think recciota in particular is underrated

[@chrishalls4734]

Really enjoyed this format - learned a lot

[@jeremyhartley6939]

Bertani Ripasso - frankly delicious and from one of the best producers. Love it!

[@dangareau3143]

Great episode. I’ve been waiting for you to do a tasting involving amarone just so I can associate with it. Been drinking and researching amarones for 20 years and LOVE them. Haven’t had the chance to enjoy the really high end dal forno or G.Q but Valpolicella’s in general are amazing. Sergio Zenato has always been a favorite. As always great job on the tasting. Cheers!!

[@craigmetcalfe1749]

Hey Konstantin! I first tasted Valpolicella Amarone in New Zealand and fell in love with it. I also liked how you used grapes as part of your description. Perhaps you can do this more often with other grape varieties in future videos. Salute!

[@imonahorse]

Musella amarone is my favourite wine in the whole world. Delicious stuff.

[@squaretrousseau]

An A-game video! Good mix of nerdy and quite useful info. Question: "Slovenian oak barrels?" Maybe rather "Slavonian?"

[@68Boca]

My understanding is both Slovenian or Slavonian are perfectly acceptable descriptions. With Slavonian being the more generic term.

[@gregorspv]

Definitely Slavonian. To the other commenter: Slavonia is a region of Croatia, whereas Slovenia is a completely different country.

[@danielmogendorff2275]

Thank you for the wonderful explanation of Valpolicella, Ripasso, Amarone, and Recioto wines. Ever tasted the wines of Fratelli Vogadori from Negrar? Lovely family business with beautiful wines. I'm still holding on to an Amarone Forlago from 2004. Waiting for the right moment to taste with wine lovers :-)

[@davidsteck9089]

Amarone was the wine that really kicked of the fascination for wine for me. It is for me a wine that needs the right moment and mood to truely shine. Ripasso often feels much more approachable and fresh, but still with spice and complexity from Amarone, which is why I count it among my favourites.

[@LadyAceRoxy]

Really enjoy Valpolicella wines, the Rossos especially with pizza and other Italian food with red sauce, and the sweeter ones make awesome treats just to have on their own!

[@marcgabor9690]

I love the wines of Valpolicella! Very underrated region in my opinion. I visited Valpolicella and Soave many years ago, what a beautiful grape growing region. While there I had some interesting wines I have never seen since. One was a lightly oaked Soave/Chardonnay blend (very good), the other was a Recioto Soave that was aged in clay amphora. Phenomenal desert wine and I've never seen it since. Also on the other side of the valley is Bardolino. The cooling effect of Lago di Garda makes for some of my favorite light, chillable reds, the best of which are the Becco Rosso.

[@riccardofranzoni5477]

Amarone is the epitome of "Holiday Wine" in Italy. It's often consumed during Christmas dinner and it is surely not an everyday wine! Valpolicella region is rediscovering lighter wines with fairly great results: Ripasso and Valpolicella Superiore are more drinkable altough they're not easy goin' wines

[@Blue28485]

Thank you for another great video! Amarone has a strange place in my wine journey - that is, despite its fame, I haven’t had a great, memorable bottle yet though i still have a lot of curiosity. Perhaps I should try this bottle from the video, if there’s some elegance to it - I have had amarones that were mostly too heavy and tiring for my pallet. There were some Ripasso bottles that I enjoyed and felt like good value at the time.

[@zsofiamolnar9498]

I love Valpolicella wines, esp. Amarone. Funny you mentioned the producer Masi, they have some very nice stuff.

[@axelkrautmeyer2754]

Great episode. I fell in love with wine when I had my first sip of amarone. If I would have a tasting of the first three wines with my friends, what food would you advise me to prepare ? 🎉

[@JnB-fb3gv]

I drank the 2016 Monte Olmi a couple of month ago. It had 17% percent of Alkohol. Absurd! But it didn’t taste that way. It was really good. I just think I drank it a bit to early 😅

[@philbarker8219]

The Valpolicella might be lovely at lunch time with friends 😉

[@billwatters4833]

I remember the 1990s when we drank Amarone in our local wine bar in Manchester. The bar ran a competition between Amarone and Faustino V. Maybe because of price Faustino was always ahead but in my opinion, there was no competition. The Amarone won the day.

[@ApothecaryTerry]

Possibly my favourite wines, I had Amarone with my Christmas dinner last year and a Ripasso is my go-to bottle especially if the weather is a bit cold. These also seem to work well as gifts for people who like a bottle of Rioja or Shiraz from a mainstream producer, since it's similar enough in profile and not too expensive so it's fairly safe but also it's something they may not have tried.

[@TargaryenZer]

Amarone.. My favorite

[@mcwine18]

Ah one of the wines I dove in early on in my wine journey!

[@Ildskalli]

I *love* Valpolicella. I also made the great decision (thanks to my wife) of staying there during our Italian holiday to tour some wineries and taste the product. I had no idea that the popular styles were so young, however - to me, something like Amarone seemed like a stroke of genius from someone during the little ice age in Europe 😜

[@Rudy0stefmeister]

I enjoy the style, powerful but also fresh. Veneto is definitely on my list of wine regions to visit, along with Südtirol

[@erichalvorsen8645]

Fun! And learned a lot! Thanks Konstantin!

[@kentpiano2600]

I adore this rich style, very reasonably priced compared to pricy Burgundies for a wow meal, and I source wines crafted in the ripasso method also from Australia + France! Blind tasting would suggest Italy, the intense fruit and licorice notes 🍒😋

[@williamrobinson7435]

I've had quite a few Valpolicella wines but to my shame not taken too much notice of the detail of thier origin.. I promise to be more diligent in the future, Master! Nice one Konstantin. 🍷🌟👍

[@lcpholman]

I have always struggled a bit with Amarone/Ripasso/Appassimento style wines. I don't like raisins - so - figures huh :) However, I do ensure I try them whenever I see them at tasting - it's all subjective, and there may always be something waiting to surprise you - and I have found the occasional Amarone that has been to my tastes. The other thing I seem to get from Ripasso that puts me off a little is a metallic finish (I think - haven't had one for years). It is a bit of a catch 22, because you don't want to spend too much on a wine style you're generally not fond of, so it may just be because it's cheaper wine. That's where wine tastings are so useful.

[@danielsaddyful]

David Sterza makes some great Valpolicella wines.. Worth seeking out 👍

[@zaphod333]

Funnily my first contact with decent Italian wine was with an Amarone my friend and "wine teacher" presented me with. So impressed I was that I started my (not too extensive) journey into Italian wines by explicitly going for Amarone. But I would always try out other wines as "side kicks", thus widening the range. Today I have completely stopped drinking them. The Alcohol is simply too much. Plus, the food it demands is hardly ever part of our diet. The same is true for Recioto, and while I enjoy a fortified red such as Port, Maury or Banyuls now and then, Recioto always felt hard to combine for me.

[@panaceiasuberes6464]

Rosso's bitterness is a pleasurable one, in line with my dear Mazuelo Dinastia Vivanco produces in Rioja.

[@frossato]

Amarone is one of the best, in my views

[@keithnelson7858]

Great video. I’d love to hear your take on other Veneto region wines. Especially more traditional reds. The Cabernets and Pino Noirs tend to be much more fruit forward than from French producers. I feel like it’s an under represented corner of the wine world.

[@AnarchoKapital]

I like all four styles presented. Best value for money to me is Ripasso, although there are some good Amaroni around 25€ (@ winery). What separates the good from the bad Amaroni, again to my taste, is the level of acidity. As you pointed out, they can be lively and somewhat elegant if acidity is level with the full body. I think it is also important to point out that a lot of wine is grown in the valley (on same level as Lago du Garda), but there are also wine yards up in the hills which have a few degrees less temperature and more wind. If you are close, it is worth visiting!

[@lidlika1]

lidl in england has valpolicella rippaso classico for £8. i have one recently and its very good,its rated at 87 points

[@tormentoxx]

Amarone is 100% my favorite italian.

[@stroopwafel6141]

Ripasso is often a bargain. The well made Torre del Falasco Valpolicella Ripasso does around 12 euro here.

[@giak7525]

These wines must age in order to eliminate the fruit and give more complex balance. 20 years on Amarone is magical.

[@bosundborg5895]

I like Valpolicella and I will stay thirsty if You please could tell us about Chateau Musar and there still are great vintages that after 25-30 years deliver 90 points or more.

[@KonstantinBaumMasterofWine]

Will do

[@MB-ck4nq]

Gutes Video, unsere chinesischen Freunde lieben Amarone, seit wir ihnen MASI vorgestellt haben 😋

[@alexm7310]

Ah! First time I've heard you say polyphenols! Fabulous... can you look at Tannat then? Please? Drinking one from RSA as I watch this... although I also love Amarone, have also had a slight fascination with Tannat ❤😊

[@duncansalmon5718]

My first experience with an Amarone was not good; I didn't understand the wine and it tasted raisiny and "spoofulated" (manipulated). I'll have to go back to try these wines again. Robert Parker always poo-pooed Valpolicella because it was not big or tannic enough, and I think that has hurt its reputation here in the US.

[@loghorizon45]

These forgotten wine styles and the autochtonous grape varieties are quite interesting. I see potential in highlighting them.

[@melsialiaj]

Ripasso is also the sweet spot for me as it combines the best of both worlds. Amarone is often too closed on the nose with very dark notes.

[@JohnAmidon-c6r]

I keep meaning to pick up a bottle of Amarone at the local fine wine shop; now, I'll be sure to do it! 👍🏻👍🏻

[@sirbmarina1778]

The second wine is not aged in *Slovenian* oak barrels but *Slavonian* . Slavonia is a region în Croatia.

[@simonhaake509]

Amerone is one of my favourite wines

[@kennychan9041]

Hi Konstantin, as the grapes itself are not that characterful and the drying process (appassimento) seems to play a very significant role, do you think we can taste the terroir from Valpolicella wine ? There's lot of single vineyard wine coming out recently, can we really tell the difference ? Or we are just drinking the wine making techniques ?

[@RafaelRavnik]

Let me just add something I realized also in some earlier videos. You are using the term Slovenian oak but it is Slavonian oak. A instead of O. Just one letter but very different meaning. Slavonia is a region in Croatia (and using a wider definition it also spans into Hungary and Serbia) which is well known for its oak trees used for barrels (usually larger vats).

[@melsialiaj]

Did you miss saying that Recioto is a sweet wine, in the tasting notes, or am I too drunk from Easter lunch? 😊 I also think you missed telling how Amarone was created, which is a pretty significant fan fact (forgotten barrels of recioto that completed the alcoholic fermentation and what was left was a "bitter wine" (amarone) meaning it was dry and not sweet as they intended for the production of recioto. Again, sorry if i missed it in your video.

[@brancik11]

There are quite a few other Italian wines that use the same / similar method, often called governo (I think). What do you think of these? Have you come across them? Thank you!

[@RalphWendlandt]

I'm a big fan of Allegrini, especially Giovanni Allegrini, as I actually prefer Recioto to Amarone. We used to drink Dal Forno and Quintarelli more often, but at today's prices it's no longer fun. When it comes to Ripasso, I like Masi Campofiorin.

[@AlanYMartin]

Love them, difficult to get good small producers since Brexit!

[@HenningOlesen-mu9pr]

Jeg nyder mest Pinot/Spätburgunder. Var på vintur I Phalz sidste måned og købte lækre tyske rødvine. I aftes var vi på besøg hos nogle venner og fik en bedre Amarone. Den var forrygende til oksekød. Jeg nød den meget. Jeg elsker at drikke forskellige vine selvom jeg har min favorit. Vi gider jo heller ikke at få den samme ret til aftensmad hver dag. 😊

[@martinhummel4102]

Oida, bis jetzt dacht ich ja dieses Master of Wine Ding ist ein Hoax, aber hab drei Weine von dir bestellt und grad den Arco probiert und ich bin geflashed, hätte nicht gedacht, dass du wirklich eine so gute Weintrüffelsau bist. ;)

[@tomjones2202]

Thank you so much for your expertise! We can learn so much from your wealth of knowledge and I for wine appreciate it! :) ( pun intended!) lol

[@misterAvdB]

perhaps the next tasting some wines from dal forno and guiseppe quintarelli?? somehow those two brands are way beyond legendary..

[@levanteponiente2297]

Hey, mach mal bitte einen Deal mit Stefano Amerighi. Gibts leider nirgends zu kaufen. Der ist ein Must für deinen Shop!

[@JohnnyBrook]

Konstantin got the Rizz Otto

[@fredericperrin3279]

I have had hits and misses with Valpo. Overall the Ripasso are probably the most interesting. Don't get me wrong, Amarone is an exceptional wine, but to me wine is all about pairing with food, and I find Amarone extremely hard to pair. It's not really great with meat, and not sweet enough for dessert. It kind of works with game if you cook it with sometimes slightly sweet (like a sauce with berries and brandy). It may also work with Peking duck, although I have not tried yet.

[@peteT269]

Literally just came back from an Amarone lunch. Perfect timing.

[@markiangooley]

In tournament Scrabble VALPOLICELLAS is considered a playable word, and a possible but extremely unlikely play is to have the word POLICE already on the board in a suitable position and extend it to VALPOLICELLAS. The plural is because using all seven letters on your tile rack gives a bonus. When I heard about it I bought a couple bottles… not sure I’d had valpolicella before. Strange reason to try an unfamiliar wine!

[@nikiforoskapetanakis4151]

Konstantin personal question: to go with a nice juicy steak what would you choose between a very good Amarone and a very good Primitivo?

[@KonstantinBaumMasterofWine]

Between the two a Amarone

[@ohpotatoesandmolasses]

Ca la Bionda makes some STELLAR affordable Valpolicella -- the Casal Vegri is just about the perfect weekday red.

[@vrijheidradio]

I drink them very often

[@vouvray59]

At one time I had Amarone from 15 different producers.

[@alexandernoushandeh9358]

The portfolio of Guiseppe Quintarelli is in my opinion the best wines of that region. They are however very, very expensive :)

[@john-nh3mv]

I live in the Veneto and often ride my bide through the vineyards where these grapes are grown. I have eaten some of these grapes directly off the vine during my rides. Contrary to what Konstantin said, these are some of the most flavorful grapes I’ve ever eaten. They are in no way bland and lacking in flavor. This distinction makes me question the rest of his evaluation.

[@KonstantinBaumMasterofWine]

Did I say the grapes are bland?

[@ShadowOfMoria]

I tried Valpolicella some years ago, a few bottles with the price range of 10-20e and was disappointed every time. To me only brunello, barolo and super tuscans seems good in italy but they're also overly expensive. Maybe a more quality (and pricey) Valpolicella deserves a try..?

[@giuseppeanoardi3973]

That is really unklucky. There are only really a couple of brands that make less than decent Valpolicella, and its really hard to make a crappy Ripasso. Either you were really unlucky or you had something that messed with your tasting. Anyways, you should really try again. Maybe something from Masi, they are a very good guideline.

[@gumle2003]

1:42 I don't think I have ever heard about a Valpolicella Risotto before? 🤔 Just joking, not even 2 minutes in and high quality video as always

[@joeykhalid9839]

risotto all'amarone is an Italian dish. unfortunately there is no real Italian cuisine abroad, in Italy every region has typical dishes, like this, which are difficult to find outside of Italy, partly due to taste and partly due to difficulty in finding certain foods or follow the recipes according to tradition

[@gumle2003]

Oh, I know. I have been a few times in Italy, both in Emilia-romagna, Veneto, Toscana, Lazio, Piemonte, and Campania. My comment was just pointing out a small mistake in saying "risotto" instead of "Recioto". It was me making a joke of not knowing any wine style called "Risotto". I am familiar with risotto all'Amarone

[@zaphod333]

@@gumle2003 You're bad! 😈 I noticed the mispronounciation, too. However, no risotto there: It's more that he pronounced the c as in mass and also vocalized the i to make the io a diphthong. Not the end of the world, but a little teasing should be allowed. 😁

[@cvrart]

Noticed that one, as well. Well, we won't hold a small slip of the tongue against Konstantin. With all the wine he has to taste, I'm surprised his tongue doesn't slip more often ;-)

[@KonstantinBaumMasterofWine]

I love Valpolicella Risotto!

[@spyrosandreopoulos5922]

Does a single vineyard bottling for Amarone make sense? (Other than for the producer’s pocket, that is .. )

[@danielpeccini2572]

Some Ripasso wines are better than most of the Amarones and cost much less.

[@cathalomurchu9909]

I like a valpolicella... but I woukt naaaaawt compare it to a pinot noir si

[@cathalomurchu9909]

Imdrunk

[@alexm7310]

...raisin wine analogous to botrytis and ice wines - take out the water! 😊

[@VektrumSimulacrum]

Now hear me out... Sun Maid raisin boxes...but they're filled with Amarone raisins. We can call them "Baum Berries"!

[@KonstantinBaumMasterofWine]

Sounds like a plan