Amarone della Valpolicella, great red wine from Veneto, power and refinement

Amarone della Valpolicella is one of Italy’s greatest red wines. Produced in the hills of Valpolicella, north of Verona in Veneto, it embodies a unique style: powerful, deep, dry, enveloping and built for ageing. Made mainly from Corvina, Rondinella, Corvinone and sometimes Molinara, it owes its identity to the traditional appassimento method.

Buying Amarone della Valpolicella online allows you to discover a majestic expression of Veneto: a rich, structured and complex wine, ideal for great meals, characterful dishes, aged cheeses or prestige tastings. The finest cuvées rank among Italy’s most sought-after bottles.

Appassimento: the secret of Amarone

The singularity of Amarone is based on appassimento, the traditional drying of grapes. After harvest, the finest bunches are selected and placed on racks or in ventilated drying rooms called fruttai. The grapes dry slowly for several weeks, sometimes several months, losing part of their water while concentrating sugars, tannins, acidity and aromatic compounds.

Unlike sweet wines made from dried grapes, Amarone is fermented until it becomes a dry wine. This long and delicate fermentation creates a broad, dense and structured wine whose rich fruit may suggest a sensation of sweetness, while preserving tension and balance.

Corvina, Rondinella and the grapes of Valpolicella

Amarone is made from the traditional grape varieties of Valpolicella. Each brings an essential dimension to the final balance of the wine: fruit, structure, freshness, colour, depth and ageing potential.

The terroir of Valpolicella

Valpolicella extends north of Verona, across a landscape of hills marked by limestone, clay and sometimes basaltic soils, as well as the moderating influence of Lake Garda. The finest terroirs are often found at altitude, on well-exposed slopes where grapes can ripen slowly while retaining precious freshness.

This combination of ripeness, natural ventilation and geological diversity makes it possible to produce Amarone wines that are powerful, complex and balanced. Great Valpolicella wines are not only about concentration: their quality also depends on tension, precision and the ability to remain elegant despite their richness.

The style of Amarone: power, depth and velvet

Amarone della Valpolicella is distinguished by remarkable aromatic intensity. In its youth, it often evokes black cherry, ripe plum, fig, raisin, sweet spices, cocoa, tobacco and dark chocolate. The palate is broad, warm and enveloping, supported by a solid tannic structure and the acidity needed for balance.

With ageing, the greatest Amarone wines gain complexity and harmony. They develop nuances of leather, truffle, balsamic notes, dried herbs, candied fruit and undergrowth, while retaining a silky texture and impressive length.

Ageing and cellar potential

Amarone is generally aged for a long time in casks, sometimes in large traditional vessels, sometimes in barriques depending on the style sought by the estate. This ageing allows the wine to gain depth, balance and complexity.

The finest cuvées can be kept for 10 to 20 years, or even longer in great vintages and from the most demanding producers. With time, power becomes more integrated, tannins soften and the wine reveals a nobler, spicier and more meditative dimension.

Emblematic Amarone producers

Certain estates have helped make Amarone one of Italy’s most admired great red wines. They represent different visions of Valpolicella, between tradition, power, precision and the search for elegance.

Food pairings with Amarone della Valpolicella

Because of its richness and depth, Amarone pairs with flavourful and generous dishes. It is particularly suited to slow-cooked meats, deep sauces, mushrooms, truffles, aged cheeses and characterful cuisine.

How to choose an Amarone

The choice of an Amarone depends on the producer, vintage, desired style and occasion. Some wines emphasise richness and concentration, while others highlight elegance, freshness, depth and capacity for evolution.