Our New Favorite Wine

Amarone . . . Amarone della Valpolicella, usually known as Amarone, is a typically rich Italian dry red wine made from the partially dried grapes of the Corvina (40.0% – 70.0%), Rondinella (20.0% – 40.0%) and Molinara (5.0% – 25.0%) varieties.     - Wikipedia definition

As you know, we love all things Italian! So it should come as no surprise that we love wine. Our wine bottle candles have allowed us to spend a lot of time in the Napa Valley where our palates have become very sophisticated. We have even been classified by certain wine experts as professional wine tasters! So in preparation for our next Italy trip we have been attempting to educate ourselves on Italian wines beyond the obvious house prosecco or chianti.

Our professional wine tasting friend Cindy found the beautiful Amarone during her recent working trip in Germany. We thank her for sharing her find and we are now seeking this wine out whenever possible. We have had a few great bottles at Via Veneto and Perbacco in San Francisco.

Via Veneto
2244 Fillmore St
San Francisco, CA 94115
(415) 346-9211

Perbacco
http://www.perbaccosf.com/
230 California Street
San Francisco, CA 94111
415.955.0663 (Phone) reservations recommended

 Here is the Amarone that started it all. We highly recommend: Masi Costasera Classico Amarone because not only is it delicious, but it makes a perfect recycled wine bottle candle when you are done! You can find this Amarone for about $50 at select wine stores, but if you don't want to pay that much the Masi Campofiorin Rosso Del Veronese is only about $15 and it's really quite nice too.

So apparently Brad and Angelina had the right idea . . . Amarone is the star of the Valpolicella region, delicious and off dry. A dense, concentrated wine with a velvety texture, it is at once lavishly fruity with a refreshing acidity. Highly aromatic, notes could include all forms of cherry (dried cherry, cooked cherry, maraschino cherry), coffee, almonds or leather. The winemaking process is a unique and fascinating ancient Roman tradition in Valpolicella, called "Appassimento". It entails the drying of grapes bunches after harvest for up to 4 months (or shorter if fans are used in the drying room), allowing them to shrivel like raisins before pressing, vinifying and aging. - borrowed from http://www.cellartours.com/

Top Valpolicella (and Amarone) producers include:

• Allegrini
• Bertani
• Cesari
• Corte Sant'Alda
• Dal Forno Romano
• Le Salette
• Masi
• Meroni
• Quintarelli
• Serègo Alighieri
• Tedeschi
• Tommaso Bussola
• Villa Monteleone
• Zenato

We would love to get your Italian wine recommendations! Be sure to leave a comment below and we will let you know when have a chance to try your suggestion.  Cin cin!