Tonight, we are tasting and learning about the red-wine blend Amarone della Valpolicella.

This wine is a dried-grape wine. It’s a red wine blend. I’m not going into the varieties because I’ve never heard of them.

Amarone has to be aged for at least two years, four for wines labeled riserva.

Until the 1950’s this wine was not really exported, but is now popular in Scandinavia, Germany, and the United States.

By law the grapes must be dried at least until the first of December. The drying process results in a metabolization of the acids and a polymerization of tannins in the skins. (The wine becomes smoother) In normal language, the wine goes from bitter and tart to creamy.

In recent years, the trend has been toward wines with less oak, less residual sugar, and less alcohol.

Tonight, we are enjoying:

1. 2021 Tutela Amarone della Valpolicella. I purchased this wine from Costco for $30.99. The wine comes from the DOCG region which is from Veneto region of Italy, near the town of Verona. The grapes used are dried for 120 days on their clusters before a long fermentation process. the wine has 15% alcohol and a deep dark ruby red color. It has aromas of chocolate, herbs, tobacco, and currants. Full-bodied wines with pronounced tannins and a long finish. Drink now through 2038. Scored a 91 from the wine enthusiast.

We both loved this wine. Denise scored it a 4 and I gave it a 5.

Next week, its Christmas and we will do some recapping of the past year and talk about our favorite wines.