Every wine region likes to celebrate what sets it apart.
And most do enjoy their own personality, based on terroir, wine styles and more. However, there's no doubt in my mind that Valpolicella (in Verona, in the centre of northern Italy) in particular, is truly different. And it starts at harvest in the winery. Anyone who's been on a winery tour knows the form: you walk your way through from the crush pad eventually to the cellar. And then there are all those jokes about looking at the bottling line.
However, at Valpolicella, to grasp the process you first go right to the top of the building. In more traditional settings that's where you'll find the grape-drying room where appassimento (a drying process) takes place. This process concentrates the juice and maintains the sugars, lending more structure, body and colour to the finished wine.
About two-thirds of the Valpolicella harvest undergoes drying, with the grapes finally pressed (usually in January) to make Amarone, which, fully fermented, is a dry wine.
Recioto, the sweet dessert wine, is made by arresting Amarone's fermentation. Recioto and Amarone skins are also used to make Valpolicella Ripasso, re-fermented on the "must" (freshly pressed juice). Ripasso (the process of "repassing" wine over grape skins and "must" to gain more body and colour) most likely dates from the 18th or 19th century.
Another difference is that the vast majority of Valpolicella's grapes are indigenous to the region. Varieties such as Corvina, Rondinella, Corvinone, Molinara and Negrara are dominant among 18 or so, with only four per cent being "international" such as Merlot or Cabernet. However, it's that appassimento drying tradition (and Ripasso) that distinguishes the region, as it has for centuries. In fact nobody could really tell me when it originated, although there's evidence the custom started in Roman times. The indigenous varieties used in drying are chosen for their thick skins that make them ideal for aging.
The key is to get the grapes to dry without rotting, so you need plenty of air circulation. Ideally the fruit will lose up to 40 per cent of its moisture content over about three months. The old way was to string them up. But eventually drying racks using bamboo (river reeds) and wood were introduced. The curved shape of the reeds allowed for air to circulate beneath the bunches. These days most wineries use open-weave, plastic baskets, which are stackable and allow for lots to be kept separate.
Some wineries have spacious rooms at the top of the building that are naturally ventilated through open or closed shutters. If rain and humidity become an issue, fans and dehumidifiers are brought to bear. Some wineries have massive storage areas with computer-controlled humidity. Valpolicella makes an impressive range from 700 hectares of member vineyards, producing about 40 varieties of grapes. The vineyard parcels and soil origins are also all kept separate, with about 20 different "crus" (vineyards) to manage.
Three enormous spaces house thousands if not millions of baskets for drying. More on the uniqueness that is Valpolicella in the coming weeks leading up to Vancouver International Wine Festival.
My pick of the week: Zonin Valpolicella Superiore Ripasso 2013, a blend of mainly Corvina, with Corvinone, Rondinella and Molinara, yields up-front cherry notes, generous mouthfeel and structured palate with hints of savoury and chocolate notes through a dry finish (90 points, BCLS $20.49).
Tim Pawsey writes about wine for numerous publications and online as the Hired Belly at hiredbelly.com. Contact: [email protected].
