The terms Valpolicella and Amarone are applied to a wide variety of wines that have become popular in the United States in recent years. In addition to the berry fruits of regular Valpolicella, Ripassos will have notes of blackberry, plum, cocoa, nutmeg, and espresso. Sartori di Verona If you like BBQ sauce slathered on your Chicken, or your chicken in a red pasta sauce, youll understand how the cherry flavours of Valpolicella go so well with the neutral tasting chicken. Saluti! They can be soft and creamy, or semi-soft and crumbly. This post is the first in our two-part Valpolicella and Amarone Series. 8 Must-Try Italian Cheeses and Their Wine Pairings On the nose, youll find lots of red and black cherry, along with herbs that complement the tomato sauce spread across your pizza. Go to Main Italian Cheeses Page Tell him which Italian cheeses you have selected and he can work with you to come up with a few Italian wines Pasqua Vigneti e Cantine These wines have very low alcohol content and often have a slight spritz, which helps counteract the smokiness of the cheese. Valpolicella Food Pairing Valpolicella (vahl-pawl-eh-CHEHL-lah): A red blend with black cherry, dried fruit & licorice. Cantina Valpantena Verona Whether lighter-bodied, chillable reds ( la gamay or pinot noir) are what you love, or you tend to go for fuller-bodied, powerhouse bottles (hello, New World cabernet lovers), theres a valpolicella for everyone. White wines: Pinot Grigio The process of grape drying causes the berries to shrivel and dehydrates them, which in turn concentrates the sugars. How to Pair Wine and Cheese Like an Expert - Food & Wine We enjoyed a bottle of each and came up with both obvious and unconventional pairings. Of the four styles of Valpolicella wines, two have aging power and two are ready to drink in youth. Although this wine is extremely approachable in its youth, this budget-friendly gem will withstand up to five to seven years in the cellar. Here are a few pairing ideas for best food with Valpolicella: Wine with Beef Stroganoff Wine with Chocolate-Covered Figs Wine with Beef with Broccoli Wine with Veal Campagnola Wine with stuffed mushrooms The process came about in the 1930s, as did Ripasso. A plate of local cheeses, blue cheeses, and dried fruits with a glass of Recioto is one of the finer things in life. As a relatively light and appealing A Visual Guide to Northern Italy's Chillable, Light-Bodied Reds suggestions here to guide you. Looking for something specific on GourmetCheeseDetective.com? Traditional Venetian fare such as fegato alla Veneziana, sauteed liver with onions and potatoes, or grilled meats match well with Valpolicella Ripasso. This 240-square-kilometer area in northern Italys Veneto region is located in the foothills of the Alps, which provide its northern border, and in and around the descending valleys of the Lessini Mountains. Regional pairings will almost always work well such as Robiolo type cheeses from the Piedmont of Italy paired up with some robust Piedmont red wines or a Sicilian chardonnay or a Sicilian red with a Sicilian cheese like Ragusano. Perfect for last-minute entertaining that needs to look like you planned for weeks! Thank You! Everyday cheeses such as Pecorino and Parmesan are good options. Its creamy texture balanced the rough wine and together they tasted hearty, robust, and nutty; like the best pecorino youve ever had. Expect floral, spice-forward flavors of morello cherry, chocolate, and a hint of menthol. With its medley of red fruits and high acidity, Valpolicella is also a great match for a rich tomato ragu or pizza, particularly if it involves some vegetarian meats, like soy mince or seitan chunks. Valpolicella Ripasso and Valpolicella Amarone are in a completely different league than Valpolicella Classico. Your email address will not be published. These are normally the most affordable of the Valpolicella wines, and they are good for everyday drinking. This wine guide will help you find the best food pairings for Amarone. If you don't have a local wine shop and have to depend on the long Click the image to order today! The 10 rules of food and wine pairing Watch out for salt and fat Given the high salt content in cured meats, freshness is key when picking a wine. Hard: The product of aging, these are quite firm and break into crumbles or shards. The blend is most often dominated by the corvina grape variety, with the local varieties of rondinella and molinara playing backup roles; rosignola, sangiovese, barbera, bigolona, and negrara are also permitted as well. Finally, with Valpolicella Classico being inexpensive, its a fantastic choice to pair up with pasta when you want to relax and not overthink things. One of the more interesting pairings involves Idiazbal with a ros wine made with the Cabernet-relative Hondarribi Beltza. Young Valpolicella pairs well with salads and seafood, pastas like gnocchi, beef-filled tortellini di Valeggio, or pizza. Black cherry, herbs, and spicy fruit dominate Valpolicella Classico, as does its high acidity. Amarone della Valpolicella Food Pairing | Pasta Evangelists Valpolicella Classico is also surprisingly delicious with Lemon Chicken served over a bed of warm pasta. Click on the image to order your assortment today! Quickly answer the question, "What cheese goes with what wine?" Additional Sauvignon Blanc food pairing ideas: Green vegetables Chicken Goat and sheep cheeses Riesling and Pad Thai Rieslings feature fresh floral aromas and fruity notes of apple, peach and pear. Regardless of style or designation, these wines are generally always best enjoyed slightly chilled. to the wine shop or liquor store as a handy reference tool. Try them with Beef and Venison Tartare, Beef Pho, and Lamb Gyros. Its soft texture and freshness make elegant white wines an ideal match. selections. Wine and charcuterie pairing: Expert advice - Decanter Ripasso wines will show fuller-bodied, velvety textures, with possible added notes of baking spice, vanilla, and/or chocolate due to their time in oak. The Simple Guide to Wine & Cheese Pairing - Wine Enthusiast Red wines: Barolo, Barbaresco, Brunello, Lambrusco, Chianti These sweet dessert wines have good acidity and a toothsome mouthfeel. Its hard, aromatic, and buttery-flavored style calls for b. Its soft texture and freshness make elegant white wines an ideal match. Regular plain Valpolicella generally lacks enough flavor to stand up to Parmigiano, but better examples of Valpolicella Classico Superiore work (and some good Valpolicella comes from outside the Classico area). Those with a superiore label attached to their name must be aged for one year in oak and have a minimum of 12% alcohol; most producers of valpolicella will age even their entry-level bottlings in some form of wood. They start out as usual red wine, but then in spring they are repassed recombined with the skins left from pressing Recioto and Amarone, which adds both sweet flavors and enough actual sugar to provoke a small new fermentation. To simplify the strategy, cheeses can be divided into six categories. Santi Another creamy, mildly sweet cheese is Buratta, a cows milk and comes from Italys southeast Puglia region. Wine & Cheese Pairing Tips - Wine & Cheese Party - Redbook Valpolicella Classico is low in both alcohol and tannin, making it incredibly food-friendly and inexpensive. What could be better with cherry or strawberry pie? The softer, more mild is Dolce, and the more intense, crumbly, and tangier is Piccante. You can buy high-quality Valpolicella Classico in the $8-$20 range, making it a no-brainer when you want to keep things casual. Amarone has just the proper amount of oomph to hold its own against these sharp Roquefort Cheese flavours without overwhelming the cheese. Another pairing worth trying is with donkey meat stew or pastissada de caval. We recommend a stone fruit- and honey-scented Fiano di Avellino. They stress primary flavors of fresh fruit, as opposed to the secondary ones from fermentation or the tertiary ones that come with age. Try drinking a powerful Barolo or Brunello di Montalcino with, Also from Lombardy, creamy, buttery, and sweeter Mascarpone has a slightly lemon-like quality, making it popular in cheesecake and tiramisu recipes. Craving something more savory? Valpolicella and Montepulciano can be found cheap and often deliver better than expected flavors. you agree to our use of cookies and the terms of our. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. For meatier pizza, such as a meat lovers pizza or pizza with sausage, Id go with Valpolicella Superiore. Pair fresh mozzarella, burrata or ricotta with a bright Pinot Grigio from northern Italy, a ros from Cotes de Provence or a fruity Cabernet Franc from Chinon. Wines to match different pasta sauces | Matching Food & Wine Marble and Solid Acacia Wood All-In-One Lazy Susan Cheese Board (14 Piece Set), Welcome to winemag.com! Red wines: Chianti, PARMIGIANO-REGGIANO Traditional Mozzarella is made from cows milk, but this world-famous cheese can also come from buffalos, sheeps, or even goats milk. Valpolicella is a famous wine region in Verona, Italy, home to a renowned red wine that is also called Valpolicella. If youre looking for a high-quality, budget-friendly option to explore the world of valpolicella ripasso, this bottle is a great place to start. They tend to be the richest and creamiest type of cheese, with a soft, spreadable texture. Today, this blue- or green-veined cheese comes in two main styles. The wines bright, palate-coating acidity leads to a refreshing and lingering finish. For example, search wine with turkey or gouda wine pairing. Valpolicella wines come from the province of Verona, located east of Lake Garda and in the overarching region of Veneto in northern Italy. Stuffed mushrooms, mushroom pie, or even a Portobello mushroom burger will be great for contrasting Valpolicellas zesty red fruit character. If you like powerful, fruity,yet dry red wines, Amarone is for you. The Wine and Cheese Pairing Wheel features 40 cheeses and the wines to pair with them. "The least successful pairings are most likely to happen with super oaky, low-acid wines," she says. - G.C.D. The region lies oncalcareous, limestone- and clay-rich soils, and hills climbing upward of more than 1300 feet above sea level. Amarone and Recioto, because they come from semi-dried grapes and are usually older, have more of the latter group. A glass of Amarone might make an excellent digestif, for example. Don't make the mistake of forgetting about Northern Italian food, though. Blue: Veins of blue mold run through these. Red wines: Chianti, Merlot, PECORINO TOSCANO Its soft texture and freshness make elegant white wines an ideal match. Milder blue cheeses like Cambozola share the same potential matches as bloomy cheeses. Stay connected for new Di Bruno products, promotions, sales & more! The more you pursue your cheese sampling - the more you will learn about the versatility of both cheese and wine. Valpolicella food pairing: Spaghetti carbonara Montepulciano d'Abruzzo food pairing: Lasagne Vinho verde food pairing: Seafood pasta Sicilian red food pairing: Pasta with tomato sauce Chilean pinot noir: Macaroni cheese Best wine to serve with carbonara - valpolicella (red) Accordini Valpolicella Classico Superiore Ripasso, Buglioni lImperfetto Valpolicella Classico Superiore, Domini del Leone Valpolicella Classico Ripasso, Tommaso Bussola Valpolicella Superiore Ripasso Ca' del Laito, Sancerre: What to Know and 5 Bottles to Try, Chenin Blanc: What to Know and 7 Bottles to Try, Muscadine: What to Know and 6 Bottles to Try, Gewurtztraminer: What to Know and 5 Bottles to Try, Verdejo: What to Know and 5 Bottles to Try, Your Guide to Sparkling Wine: The Main Types and More, Albario: What to Know and 6 Bottles to Try, Chillable Red Wine: What to Know and 7 Bottles to Try. Red meats, in the form of stracotto, braised beef and all slow-cooked dishes find their ideal contrast in Amarone with its high alcohol content and pliant tannins. With such a wide range of styles, Valpolicella wines speak to every palate preference. Hard, salty Pecorino Romano is produced from sheeps milk, with younger versions making a fine appetizer. Also from Lombardy, creamy, buttery, and sweeter Mascarpone has a slightly lemon-like quality, making it popular in cheesecake and tiramisu recipes. Think along the lines of lighter meats and seafood chicken, turkey, salmon or tuna are all solid choices for Valpolicella. If the dish is rich, gamey, earthy, or tomato sauce-based, Ripasso is an incredibly food-friendly wine to pair up with it. Basics to Pairing Wine with Ham Fruity Wines - Ham, with its sweet-and-salty richness, pairs best with wines that have a touch of sweetness, plenty of acidity and bold fruit. Rocca Sveva, 2014 - 2023 VinePair Inc. Made In NYC, calcareous, limestone- and clay-rich soils. Valpolicella: 10 essential facts about the region and its wine - Vincarta A glass of fresh. The best wine pairings for spaghetti puttanesca. MARISA FINETTI | Pairing Italian wine & cheese 101 Valpolicella ripasso is one of the most popular styles of valpolicella wine. Here's a quick pairing guide: Victory for Valpolicella Have you tried Valpolicella before? Fresh: Soft and rindless, these can be made with cow, goat or sheep milk. Located on a sun-drenched hillside in the Veneto region of Italy, this producers cellar is nestled amongst 20 hectares of vines and 19 hectares of woods, olive groves, and cherry trees. These two potentially great wines are perhaps best drunk on their own; they arent easily matched with food, apart from a little Parmigiano. Some are sweeter and milder, but all pack a good deal of sharpness and tang. The Verdict: Abbaye de Belloc Good cheap wine can easily become great cheap wine. For Valpolicella Ripasso or heavily structured Amarone wines, the best temperature to serve Amarone is around 63F (17C). While a log of bright white goat cheese is iconic, the category also includes farmers cheese, ricotta and others that come in tubs. It is not labelled Classico, as when you move outside the original region, the growing conditions change (soil, climate, temperature), which can change the wine profile. Masi 06 Valpolicella Bonacosta: This typical Valpolicella was light-bodied and buttery. The truffles did not jump to the front of the tongue but rather sang a quiet hymn behind the goaty tang. Valpolicella is a good alternative to Pinot Noir or Beaujolais, and pairs well with poultry, salmon, seafood stew, and grilled vegetables. Share your experiences in the comments below. Risotto all'amarone (a favourite of the River Caf) Beef braised in amarone. Tannin and Tomato sauce do not mix, as the sauce makes the tannin taste like tin. White wines: Gavi from Piedmont region, Northern Italian Chardonnay or California Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc Burrata: A mozzarella exterior gives way to a luscious, milky center of mozzarella scraps mixed with cream. After a few slices of cheese and sips of wine, the flavors melted into each other to become fruity, sweet, dry, and nutty, all at once. amarone, the full name of which is amarone della valpolicella, is made from late-harvested, dried red wine grapes, half of which must be corvina corvinone, rounded out with rondinella and other local varieties. Lighter Red Wines. The Ripasso wines generally have a juicy sweetness and are often good value. Theyre funkier than bloomy cheeses, with gamy, often pleasantly pungent notes. Here are eight delizioso cheese and vino pairings worth trying any time! Close in style to Parmigiano-Reggiano and also originating from northern Italy, Grana Padano is an unpasteurized cows milk cheese. Here are eight delizioso cheese and vino pairings worth trying any time! - G.C.D. Many are excellent to melt and perfect to slice. This will benefit from crisp white or ros wine pairings to balance out its fresh, mildly sweet character. Reciotos deep toothsome raspberry notes and dried cherry aromas also hang out for a very long time, softening with time. Valpolicella Food Pairing - Best Food & Valpolicella Pairing Recioto is an absolute success with tiramisu, chocolate, and cakes. The modern wines, products of greater control and higher technology, often taste of vanilla from aging in new oak barrels. These cheeses tend to go best with dry or off-dry white wines, ros or light-bodied, fruity red wines with a low degree of alcohol. (vahl-pawl-eh-CHEHL-lah): A red blend with black cherry, dried fruit & licorice. Hopefully, youll be inspired to try some of these lovely wines, and find new favorites along the way. When the wines reach this temperature, they feel soft with velvety tannins, enabling all of their perfumes to breathe. White wines: Fum Blanc Valpolicella may just be your next favorite wineand best of all, theres an expression for every style of wine drinker out there. We tasted half the store trying to find another type of cheese that would work well. The rind is edible, and it has a stronger, funkier flavor than the interior. Cinsault; Pinot Noir . Ham is salty and sweet, and Valpolicella is light, acidic and fruity. A salty, dry pecorino seemed like the most obvious choice and Pecorino di Grotto worked admirably. Valle Reale 04 Montepulciano dAbruzzo: This wine tasted rugged and raw. Or go full Venetian with a brasato allAmarone, a classic dish of braised beef cooked with Amarone and served with polenta. Go to Pairing British Cheeses with Wine, Ales and Ciders Pairing Wine with Steak, Lamb, and Other Red Meat | Wine Folly Many of the regular Valpolicella and Valpolicella Classico Superiore wines are now labeled Ripasso. Sourced from a handful of vineyard sites ranging from five to 30 years old, this textured and tasty bottle is one of our go-to picks year round. This way, you can compare the differences of their styles. hello@hellovino.com. Gorgonzola hails from Italys northern Lombardy region, dating back to the 9th century. The food-friendly nature of this red wine also ensures it will go great with any veggies or herbs that might be tossed into your sauce. A juicy steak cooked medium rare with a good Amarone is a match made in heaven. Fresh: Soft and rindless, these can be. Required fields are marked *. Many of the regular Valpolicella and Valpolicella Classico Superiore wines are now labeled Ripasso. Contrasting pairings. whites as well as with champagne or prosecco and some of the Valpolicella and Montepulciano can be found cheap and often deliver better than expected flavors. Tips on Pairing Wine with Ham | Wine Folly White wines: Sicilian Chardonnay, Gewrztraminer, Pinot Grigio, Sauvignon Blanc. Try it with an antipasto plate of prosciutto, soft blue. Vicky Wasik. Privacy Policy, By continuing to use our Services and/or submitting the above information, you agree to our use of cookies and the terms of ourPrivacy Policy. Plus, you get a bit of herb, spice and smoke in Valpolicella that imparts its own characteristics on the roasted chicken and further improves the taste. The blend is most often dominated by the corvina grape variety, with the local varieties of rondinella and molinara playing backup roles; rosignola, sangiovese, barbera, bigolona, and negrara are also permitted as well. Sparkling wines: Prosecco, GRANA PADANO If you require a red wine to bring to an Easter Brunch where ham is being served, Valpolicella Classico is an ideal choice as it is incredibly food-friendly. After 23 to 24 months of aging in oak, the wine is finally bottled and sent out for release. Valpolicella has some interesting notes of peppercorn and warm baking spices in its profile, so we recommend pairing like with like. These textured and tasty bottles are made by taking valpolicella superiore wine and leaving them in contact with the leftover partially dried skins from amarone or recioto production. A regular Valpolicella can be overwhelmed by heavy, flavourful cuts of meat, like beef or game. Among the further complications, any of the ostensibly dry Valpolicella wines can have some detectable sugar, and any of them, dry or sweet, may be made in a traditional or modern style or in between. Great food pairings include meaty dishes, pasta, risotto, cheese, and many more. Red wines: Sicilian reds like Nero d'Avola (similar to a Shiraz) Click on the image to order your assortment today! Remember, Valpolicella has very low levels of tannins, so youre unlikely to get an overpowering bitter taste if you pair this red wine with seafood. Lively, vibrant Valpolicella is redolent of refreshing sour cherry and aromatic herbs, and, like good Beaujolais, benefits from a slight chill. Like the wine, Parmigiano changes in flavor as it ages; it also becomes stronger and saltier. Standard Valpolicella and Ripasso are best enjoyed within the first five years of their release. White wines: Sauvignon Blanc, White Bordeaux (Sauvignon Blanc Blend), Red wines: Chianti (Sangiovese grape), Barbera d'Alba, Barolo and Barbaresco (all from Nebbiolo grape) The Montepulciano begged for a pecorino even more than the Valpolicella. For light-bodied Valpolicellas or Valpolicella Classico, look for salty, dry cheeses to emphasize the brightness of the wine. Sweet wines such as Sauternes or late-harvest Riesling complement the flavor without overpowering it. An extremely sweet dessert wine, Recioto is actually the oldest style in Valpolicella. cheese party, an after dinner cheese course or even a grand Ultimate Cheese Course party for some special friends. Valpolicella is a good alternative to Pinot Noir or Beaujolais, and pairs well with poultry, salmon, seafood stew, and grilled vegetables. For heavier dishes in these categories, youll want to select a Valpolicella Superiore. Amarone della Valpolicella will stand up to this cheese - both in flavour and aroma - without overwhelming any of the more subtle notes in the cheese and your pasta dish. 1. However, it is also thin in flavour and will be crushed by heavier pasta and pizzas. As the wine became popular, the borders of what could be Valpolicella expanded. There isnt to me much synergy between the wine and cheese, the sort of interaction that transforms your perception of one or the other. Your Essential Guide to Amarone Wine (2023) - WinePros