Amarone
Italy's amarone is evolving to wide popularity and creating buzz throughout the wine industry. Winemakers are adapting their techniques to perfect their wines. Increased production and a raised profile are helping amarone become an internationally well-known and well-loved red wine.
Amarone is modern Italy's most approachable big red, perfectly suited to the palates of consumers used to the full-bodied, rich flavours of New World wines. Its accessibility is a major reason for its current surge in popularity worldwide. Canadian sales are soaring in the midst of an overall production boom. It seems the mere mention of amarone at a tasting creates an instant buzz among wine-drinkers. People rub their hands because they know something special is about to come; namely a full-bodied, rich, complex wine that finishes smooth with a hint of sweetness.
An increased production level and heightened profile are not the only ways this wine has evolved. In fact, though it comes from ancient roots, the amarone produced today is a recent adaptation of a more traditional wine.
The makers of amarone take great care in choosing which techniques they use to make their wine. They are bringing the best out of the corvine, rondinella, and molinara grapes used in their wine. In this article, Steve Thurlow discusses the evolution of this popular wine, including the incorporation of new production techniques and technologies, including oaking, computer-monitored storage facilities, new terroir and the use of botrytis. The possibilities appear endless.
"Amarone: Appasimento, Dried and True" has been edited for www.wineaccess.ca; the complete story can be found in the February/March 2008 issue of Wine Access magazine.
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