Valpolicella

I picked Valpolicella for March's wine night because there were a lot of us and we tend to shop at the same wine stores. So i thought that we'd be able to find a few different bottles in our price range.

I started drinking Valpolicella when i was just discovering wine. It was cheap, it had good flavor and it sounded exotic. Well that's basically what the rest of the world thinks. In fact i found a great quote that said it has a reputation for being a "light, fruity red wine with little character or finesse".

But that is changing. Valpolicella is making a comeback!

Here are some facts:
Valpolicella is in the Verona region in Italy.














It mostly consists of Corvina Veronese, Rondinella and/or Molinara grapes. And there's a variety of styles to choose from including sparkling, dessert wine and Amarone.
It tends to have similar characteristics as a beaujolais.

Types to look for:
*Valpolicella Classico (basic table wine),
*Valpolicella Classico Superiore (must be aged a minimum of 1 year in wood and reach a minimum alcohol level of 12%),
*Reicioto Della Valpolicella ("is one of Italy's greatest and oddest wines" 14% alcohol)
*Reicioto Amarone (the dry version of reicioto)

Here are the wines we tasted...

1. Viviani $20.00
2007 Corvina & Rondinella (classico)
really drinkable, heavy black pepper.

2. Le Salette $16.00
2008 (classico) 55% Corvina, 35% Rondinella, 5% Cabernet Sauvignon, 5% Croatina
musty, jammy nose, bright cherries, strawberries, tastes old, more concentrated fruit. pepper, dusty, hits the nose,raisin.

3. Solane $15
2007 (classico superior) Corvina, Rondinella and Molinara
nose - buttery, cooked pasta, buttered popcorn (butter must be from the oak), deep red fruit, coaterier, slickerier. and yes those were my actual notes - the last two words were not in my handwriting!

4. Ca La Bionda $18.00
2007 (classico superior) 70% Corvina, 20% Corvinone, 10% indigenous varieties like Molinara
jammy! peppery, alcohol, spicy, leathery, dusty nose. full body, dry finish, mouth watering, strawberries, vegetal quality.

5. Le Ragose $19.00
2006 (classico superior) 60% Corvina, 20% Rondinella, 20% other local grapes.
smells like peaches, cork, grass. tastes tart, tangy, sour, a little funk to it. "funky b.o." puckery mouth feel.

6. Tommasi $9.99
2007 (classico) 43% Corvina, 32% Rondinella, 25% merlot
very drinkable, bitter dark chocolate, black licorice, chocolate nose. a little more refreshing, mild, nose is more vibrant than the taste. easy, balanced, full & deep.

And as for our favorites:
1. Solane (also the most popular in the wine shops)
2. Le Salette
3. Tommasi