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  • Leah’s Wine of the Week-Cold Weather Wines

    Posted by LVotto on December 27th, 2011 in Uncategorized

    Now that December is finally upon us, which means short days and long, chilly nights, a glass of wine and a roaring fire may be our most welcome companions especially amidst the holiday frenzy.  So what kind of wines should we look for to warm our bodies and ease our minds?  Italy’s Veneto region, on the northeastern corner of the country, produces wines that seem made for just such occasions.  Their most prized (and naturally most expensive) Amarone delle Valpolicella is a wine like no other.  Rondinella and Corvina grapes, native Veneto varietals, are dried on mats left in the sun before they are pressed to release their now highly concentrated juice.  The juice is then fermented and aged for no less than 2 years in oak barrels, resulting in a dense, high-alcohol wine.  These wines bring to mind notions of dark chocolate, leather and fruit preserves and beg for a rich stew and a cold, winter night.  While some amarone can be a bit over-powering with a port-like richness, our Monte Del Fra Amarone delivers concentrated fruit and depth of flavor, without sacrificing grace and finesse.  If you like Amarone, but are not feeling quite so extravagant, look for a Valpolicella Ripasso.  This wine boasts the same blend as amarone, however, rather than made from the juice of dried grapes, the wine is infused with the leftover grape skins and seeds used for the amarone, thus the name ripasso or “repassed.”  This imparts a very similar flavor profile as amarone in the wine as well as a deepened concentration of fruit and tannin.  Monte Del Fra’s Valpolicella Ripasso is positively oozing with blackberry jam and chocolate dipped cherries and will warm up even the coldest of winter nights.  Happy Holidays!

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