The Italy Wine Project

Regions / Veneto

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Valpolicella DOC

The fresh, unraisined red of the Verona hills, and the wine that Amarone's fame has pushed into the shadows. Basic Valpolicella is pale ruby, light bodied and tart, with sour cherry, red plum, almond and a peppery snap, made for chilling and drinking with cured meats; Superiore, with a year of age and a bit more alcohol, gets deeper and more savory, and from Quintarelli or Speri it's a serious wine. A wave of producers (Monte dei Ragni, Zýmē, Ca' La Bionda) now treat straight Valpolicella as the honest expression of Corvina. Cheap, useful and often better than the Ripasso next to it.

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Bottles I'm chasing

ProducerWinePriceBuy
Allegrini
Valpolicella Classico
Bright, unoaked, sour cherry and almond; the standard by which everyday Valpolicella is judged. Winebow imports.
$16 to $20Wine-Searcher
Speri
Valpolicella Classico Superiore Sant'Urbano
Single-vineyard Superiore with a portion of dried grapes, black cherry, tobacco and real structure; organic.
$30 to $38Wine-Searcher
Quintarelli
Valpolicella Classico Superiore
The cult producer's 'basic' wine, released with seven years of age, dried cherry, leather and spice; the serious bottle.
$90 to $120Wine-Searcher