Recioto della Valpolicella (Italy)

In Italy, Recioto refers to wines made from dried grapes, late harvest grapes or wines affected by noble rot.

The term Recioto is traditional to the Veneto region of Italy.Recioto wines are naturally sweet wines.

The most important wines are Recioto della Valpolicella, and the white Recioto di Soave.

Recioto Valpolicella Flavors

Typical flavors of Recioto wines are: Cherries. Berries. Raisins. Aromatic Herbs.

Morello Cherry

Berries

Raisins

Aromatic
Herbs

Recioto Valpolicella Profile

Recioto Valpolicella is a full body, sweet passito wine:

SUGAR:	Sweet (150 g/l)

BODY:	Full

FRUIT:	Medium - High

ACIDITY:	Medium

ALCOHOL:	13% ABV

	Serving temperature: 12-14°C (54-57°F)

Recioto Valpolicella Food Pairing

Meditation

Cakes

Chocolate

Strong
Cheese

Excellent Pairings

Meditation.
Chocolate.
Desserts.
Dry Biscuits.
Cakes.
Strong Cheeses.

The Perfect Glass for Recioto Valpolicella

A Small Tulip Shaped glass consentrates the aromas near the rim for enhanced nose enjoyment.

The slightly narrow opening helps to capture the deep, rich aromas, making each sip more flavorful.

Recioto Valpolicella is usually served slightly chilled. A stemmed glass prevents your hand from warming the wine.

Recioto Valpolicella Cheese Pairing

Sweet and salty foods pair well together. The same goes for wine and cheese.

Gorgonzola

Roquefort

Stilton

Parmesan

Aged Cheddar

Aged Gouda

About Recioto

Recioto is a passito DOCG wine from the Veneto region in north-east Italy.

The name comes from the local dialect "recie" which means "ears".

The "recie" are the small parts of grape bunches placed on its sides, like ears on the two sides of a face.

These "recie" are more exposed to sunlight and closest to the stem, therefore the sweetest.

In Autumn, after harvest, the "recie" remain in lofts above wineries to dry traditionally for 4 months.

Lofts are well-ventilated to prevent undesired mold from forming.

Towards the end of January, the dried grapes are squeezed and can start the skin contact fermentation, which must be interrupted at the right stage in order to preserve its sweet taste. So it is stored for aging.

A legend says that a winemaker forgot to stop the fermentation, resulting in a bitter Recioto. Bitter in italian is "amaro". The wine was called "the great bitter": Amarone.

The typical grape varieties are Corvina, Corvinone, Rondinella, and Molinara.

The Valpolicella Wine Region

Valpolicella is a valley by Lake Garda near Verona in Northeast Italy.

Valpolicella is also a well-known red wine from Veneto. The grapes used in Valpolicella are Corvina Veronese, Rondinella and Molinara.

Valpolicella comes in various styles:

Valpolicella DOC the lightest.
Light, fragrant wines produced in a Vino Novello style, similar to Beaujolais Nouveau and released only a few weeks after harvest (out for sale on 30 October).
Valpolicella Ripasso DOC the boldest.
A Valpolicella Superiore made with both fresh and dried grapes. The grape skins that have been left over from the fermentation of Amarone or Recioto add flavors like baked fruit, cedar, and tobacco to the new grapes.
Amarone della Valpolicella DOCG the king.
Made with dehydrated grapes to add full body, cherry, plum, and pine resin notes. This wine was born out of a mistake:
Recioto was left to ferment too long, resulting in a dry wine that became Valpolicella`s star.
Recioto della Valpolicella DOCG the sweet.
The historical-traditional sweet wine from this valley, dating back to Roman times.

Wine Region Veneto

The most famous white wines from the region are Soave and the sparkling Prosecco.

The most famous red wines are Amarone and Valpolicella from the Valpolicella Wine Region.

Black Grapes	White Grapes
11% Corvina (Amarone) 11% Merlot 4% Cabernet Sauvignon 3% Cabernet Franc 3% Rondinella 3% Molinara 1% Refosco	27% Glera (Prosecco) 15% Garganega (Soave) 11% Pinot Grigio 4% Chardonnay 1% Durella