Ep 317: Valpolicella and Amarone from Veneto, Italy with Filippo Bartolotta

<p><a href="https://www.lebaccanti.com/en" target="_blank" rel= "noopener">Filippo Bartolotta</a> joins us again to explain the wonders and changing nature of the Valpolicella region in northeast Italy. <a href="https://www.lebaccanti.com/en">Filippo</a> tells us about the geological underpinnings of the region, how the winemaking styles developed here, and what's gone on in modern history. </p> <p><a href="https://www.lebaccanti.com/en" target="_blank" rel= "noopener"><img style= "display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" src= "https://assets.libsyn.com/secure/show/45638/valpolicella_cover.jpg" alt="" width="233" height="163" /></a></p> <p>We cover things you many of you have asked about in the past, like...</p> <ul> <li>Where and what Valpolicella is</li> </ul> <p><img style= "display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" src= "https://assets.libsyn.com/secure/show/45638/map.jpg" alt="" width= "282" height="134" /></p> <ul> <li>The difference between Valpolicella, Valpolicella Classica, Valpolicella Ripasso, and Amarone della Valpolicella</li> <li>We discuss Amarone and why it's hard to make, expensive, and HUGE as a wine (hint-dried grapes = intense wines!)</li> <li>We talk about the appassimento technique and how it used to be used to help unripe grapes taste a little better</li> </ul> <p> </p> <ul> <li>Filippo gives us a summary of the 13 valleys of the "Valley of many cellars" , as Valpolicella translates from Latin. He mentions some of the more awesome one like Fumane, Marano and Negrar(which I think we'll see on labels in the future)</li> </ul> <p><img style= "display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" src= "https://assets.libsyn.com/secure/show/45638/map1.jpg" alt="" width="277" height="203" /></p> <ul> <li>We talk about the blend here and how a grape that we didn't even know existed a few decades ago is now a main part of the quality blends (Corvinone). </li> <li>Filippo goes over the flavor profiles of (from lightest to heaviest here...) and food that goes with it: