Vintage Amarone Della Valpolicella Wine Tasting back to 1964 Saturday, April 6th 7:30pm and all the Amarone and Valpolicella in the store on SALE!!

“The only way of rendering life endurable is to drink as much wine as one can come by.”

- James Branch Cabell, Beyond Life

We are trying to keep the calendar of events full at the Wine Bar so we have at least Thursday, Friday and Saturday night filled with wine tasting events!  And we have a schedule of events that you can count on some of my favorite wines coming out in April with our annual vintage Amarone wine tasting.

And remember the Wine Cave is available Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights!

We have a minimum of 6 people to reserve the table in the Cave but we will take up to 15 people for a curated dinner by Chef Toni.  We must know in advance what food items you want so you will have to coordinate the menu with Toni ahead of time, but she can put together any of your favorites from past Wine Bar menus or whatever you want if she has enough notice. The best thing about this table is the view of the wine, we have the largest selection of vintage wine in South Florida and everything is available at a retail price!!  You may want to bring a sweater it is 64 degrees in the wine cave.

Amarone is one of the most unique wines in the world because they use a style of production known as appassimento.  This style of winemaking is when they dry the grapes before they ferment them making the wines more concentrated and in most cases higher in alcohol than other wines that are made fermenting the grapes right after they are picked. 

The Ripasso technique which is used here is also unique in the wine world and was also created in the Valpolicella region of Italy.  This is a method of production where they pass the juice of grapes that were crushed right after harvest aka already fermented juice (wine) over the must of the freshly crushed dried grapes used to make Amarone.  The must contains a little yeast and sugar so the wine now goes through a second fermentation giving the resulting wine more body, flavor and of course more alcohol!  This wine is known as Valpolicella Ripasso and if you want to learn more about these amazing wines come out and taste some of the best that the land of many cellars has to offer.

Join us as we experience some of the oldest Amarones that we have ever shown at Wine Watch along with a special menu to accompany the wines.  The fee for this tasting which includes dinner  is $350 + tax, for reservations call 954-523-9463 or e-mail andy@winewatch.com.

VINTAGE AMARONE WINE TASTING BACK TO 1964

Saturday, April 6, 2024

7:30 PM

1964 Bertani Amarone della Valpolicella Classico DOCG, Veneto, Italy

1985 Luigi Righetti Capitel De' Roari, Amarone della Valpolicella Recioto Classico DOCG, Italy

1986 Roberto Anselmi Amarone Recioto della Valpolicella DOCG, Veneto, italy

1988 Masi Amarone Recioto della Valpolicella Classico Veneto, Italy

1988 Paolo Boscaini Marano, Amarone della Valpolicella Classico DOCG, Italy

1990 Bertani Amarone della Valpolicella Classico DOCG, Veneto, Italy

1993 Bertani Amarone della Valpolicella Classico DOCG Veneto, Italy

1995 Luigi Righetti Capitel De' Roari, Amarone della Valpolicella Classico DOCG, Italy

1997 Le Ragose Amarone della Valpolicella Classico DOCG, Veneto, Italy

1997 Masi Costasera, Amarone della Valpolicella Classico DOCG, Italy

Menu

Selection of Cheese and Charcuterie

Beef tartar served on A Bone Marrow Canoe

Red Wine Pasta

Prosciutto Wrapped Kurobuta Pork Loin Served with Mole, Onion Confit and Roasted Root Vegetables

Dark Chocolate Creme Brulee

The fee for this tasting which includes dinner is $350 + tax, for reservations call 9545-523-9463 or e-mail andy@winewatch.com.  Please let us know when you make your reservations if you have any food allergies or aversions and chefs Toni and Dani will be happy to accommodate you. 

A bit about Amarone and Valpolicella:

Valpolicella, according to some accounts, means “valley of many cellars,” which seems fitting.  It is derived, they say, from the Greek word poli (many) and the Latin cella (cellar).   This area is approximately 27 miles long and 5 miles wide, it passes north and west of Verona, extending from the Adige River to the Cazzano Valley.  Bardolino and Lake Garda lie to the west and Soave to the east.  The land ranges in altitude from 490 to 1,475 feet above sea level.  The vines in the classico district to the northwest of Verona, are planted on the hillsides and mountain slopes of the valleys of the Adige tributaries and the Fumane, Marano, and Negrar torrents.  Some of the vineyards are terraced with stone.  The cretaceous, calcareous soil is of glacial origins.  And volcanic activity in this area contributed elements to the soil as well.  

The area around Sant’Ambrogio is considered the heart of the Amarone production zone.  Within this area, northeast of Gargagnago, is a valley called Vaio Armaron, which may have given the wine its name.   The blend of grapes typically used in Valpolicella is Corvina (40%-70%), Rondinella (20%-40%), Molinara (5%-25%) and may contain up to 15% Negrara Trentina, Rossignola, Dindarella, Barbera, and/or Sangiovese.  Before 1989 producers were allowed to add as much as 15% of grapes, must, or wine from outside the zone to correct problems from a weak vintage, but this practice is prohibited today.  Corvina contributes color, body, bouquet, flavor, and the basic Valpolicella character to the wine.   Rondinella, which is resistant to disease and rot, is added for its color and strength, tannin and vigor, it also adds some refinement to the azromas.  Molinara, or Mulinara, is also known as Rossara Veronese and Rossanella, is blended in to make the wine lighter and more drinkable.  It also contributes dryness and acidity, as well as that characteristic bitterness.  Negrara, adds softness, freshness and early drinkability.

The first dry Amarone, according to writer Cesare Marchi, was the result of a fortunate accident.  In the early 1950s, Adelino Lucchese, Bertani’s cellarmaster, discovered a barrel of wine in the cellar that had been overlooked and neglected for some time.  Certain that it had spoiled he was about to discard its contents, when curiosity prompted him to take a taste just to see what had happened.  He was astonished to discover that the forgotten wine had a velvety texture and a penetrating perfume, a slightly bitter taste, but not at all unpleasant. 

There is however evidence that the Romans made a type of bitter Recioto for diabetics or other people who couldn’t take sugar.  Sandro Boscaini of Masi pointed out that some of the oldest families in Valpolicella, the Count Campostrini and Count Serego Alighieri, as well as his own produced an Amaro, a dry Recioto.  This would seem to indicate that Amarone is considerably older that Marchi admits.  According to another book called Valpolicella Spolendida Contea Dei Vino, written by Lamberto Paronetto, the name Amarone has been in use since the eighteenth century.  It became popular at the beginning of this century and the name could very well be derived from the Italian word amaro, meaning “bitter” (scholar Scipione Maffei, writing in the first half of the eighteenth century, refers to an amaro, a dry wine from the Valpolicella area), or it could come from Vajo Armaron, where some highly regarded Amarones have been produced for ages. 

All the Amarone in the store:

1964 BERTANI AMARONE DELLA VALPOLICELLA CLASSICO DOCG, VENETO, ITALY

Price: $695.00                 Sale Price: $550.00              Quantity in Stock: 17

1964 BERTANI AMARONE DELLA VALPOLICELLA CLASSICO DOCG, VENETO, ITALY (LABLES BADLY DAMAGED)

Price: $475.00                 Sale Price: $395.00              Quantity in Stock: 12

1985 LUIGI RIGHETTI CAPITEL DE' ROARI, AMARONE DELLA VALPOLICELLA RECIOTO CLASSICO DOCG, ITALY

Price: $150.00                 Sale Price: $120.00              Quantity in Stock: 16

1986 ROBERTO ANSELMI AMARONE RECIOTO DELLA VALPOLICELLA DOCG, VENETO, ITALY

Price: $225.00                 Sale Price: $179.00              Quantity in Stock: 10

1988 MASI AMARONE RECIOTO DELLA VALPOLICELLA CLASSICO VENETO, ITALY

Price: $250.00                 Sale Price: $200.00              Quantity in Stock: 20

1990 BERTANI AMARONE DELLA VALPOLICELLA CLASSICO DOCG, VENETO, ITALY

Price: $450.00                 Sale Price: $375.00              Quantity in Stock: 90

1993 BERTANI AMARONE DELLA VALPOLICELLA CLASSICO DOCG VENETO, ITALY

Price: $350.00                 Sale Price: $280.00                       Quantity in Stock: 29

1994 BERTANI AMARONE DELLA VALPOLICELLA CLASSICO DOCG VENETO, ITALY MAGNUM

Price: $625.00                 Sale Price: $495.99              Quantity in Stock: 4

1994 BERTANI AMARONE DELLA VALPOLICELLA CLASSICO DOCG VENETO, ITALY

Price: $295.00                 Sale Price: $230.00              Quantity in Stock: 9

1995 LUIGI RIGHETTI CAPITEL DE' ROARI, AMARONE DELLA VALPOLICELLA CLASSICO DOCG, ITALY

Price: $150.00                 Sale Price: $115.00              Quantity in Stock: 90

1996 ALLEGRINI AMARONE DELLA VALPOLICELLA

Price: $150.00                 Your Price: $132.00              Quantity in Stock: 2

1996 BERTANI AMARONE DELLA VALPOLICELLA CLASSICO DOCG

Price: $345.00                 Sale Price: $275.00              Quantity in Stock: 7

1996 LUIGI RIGHETTI CAPITEL DE' ROARI, AMARONE DELLA VALPOLICELLA CLASSICO DOCG, ITALY

Price: $150.00                 Sale Price: $115.00              Quantity in Stock: 12

1997 MASI SEREGO ALIGHIERI VAIO ARMARON, AMARONE DELLA VALPOLICELLA CLASSICO DOCG, ITALY

Price: $350.00                 Sale Price: $285.00              Quantity in Stock: 12

1997 MASI COSTASERA, AMARONE DELLA VALPOLICELLA CLASSICO DOCG, ITALY

Price: $195.00                 Sale Price: $155.00              Quantity in Stock: 23

1997 LE RAGOSE AMARONE DELLA VALPOLICELLA CLASSICO DOCG, VENETO, ITALY

Price: $165.00                 Sale Price: $125.00                       Quantity in Stock: 44

1998 ALLEGRINI AMARONE DELLA VALPOLICELLA CLASSICO DOCG, VENETO

Price: $149.00                 Sale Price: $115.00              Quantity in Stock: 1

1999 ALLEGRINI AMARONE DELLA VALPOLICELLA

Price: $150.00                 Your Price: $132.00              Quantity in Stock: 2

2008 MONTE FAUSTINO L'AMARONE DEL MAESTRO FORNASER AMARONE DELLA VALPOLICELLA CLASSICO RISERVA DOCG

Price: $210.00                 Your Price: $184.80              Quantity in Stock: 10

2008 DAL FORNO AMARONE DELLA VALPOLICELLA

Price: $600.00                 Your Price: $528.00              Quantity in Stock: 2

2010 MONTE FAUSTINO L'AMARONE DEL MAESTRO FORNASER AMARONE DELLA VALPOLICELLA CLASSICO RISERVA DOCG

Price: $198.00                 Your Price: $174.24              Quantity in Stock: 9

2010 TOMMASI DE BVRIS AMARONE DELLA VALPOLICELLA CLASSICO RISERVA DOCG ITALY

Price: $306.00                 Your Price: $269.28                      Quantity in Stock: 3

2011 BRIGALDARA AMARONE DELLA VALPOLICELLA RISERVA SAN FLORIANO

Price: $250.00                 Your Price: $220.00              Quantity in Stock: 10

2011 TOMMASO BUSSOLA AMARONE DELLA VALPOLICELLA TB VIGNETO ALTO

Price: $225.00                 Your Price: $198.00              Quantity in Stock: 4

2012 MUSELLA AMARONE DELLA VALPOLICELLA RISERVA DOCG

Price: $74.25                   Your Price: $65.34              Quantity in Stock: 9

2012 MONTE FAUSTINO L'AMARONE DEL MAESTRO FORNASER AMARONE DELLA VALPOLICELLA CLASSICO RISERVA DOCG

Price: $192.00                 Your Price: $168.96              Quantity in Stock: 9

2013 MONTE FAUSTINO L'AMARONE DEL MAESTRO FORNASER AMARONE DELLA VALPOLICELLA CLASSICO RISERVA DOCG

Price: $192.00                 Your Price: $168.96              Quantity in Stock: 6

2013 BRIGALDARA AMARONE DELLA VALPOLICELLA CASE VECIE

Price: $116.00                 Your Price: $102.08              Quantity in Stock: 1

2013 SARTORI AMARONE DELLA VALPOLICELLA CORTE BRA RISERVA

Price: $65.00                   Your Price: $57.20              Quantity in Stock: 5

2013 MONTE FAUSTINO AMARONE DELLA VALPOLICELLA

Price: $80.00                   Your Price: $70.40              Quantity in Stock: 16

2013 ALLEGRINI FIERAMONTE AMARONE CLASSICO RISERVA DOCG

Price: $400.00                 Your Price: $352.00              Quantity in Stock: 5

2015 MASI SEREGO ALIGHIERI VAIO ARMARON, AMARONE DELLA VALPOLICELLA CLASSICO DOCG, ITALY

Price: $130.50                 Your Price: $114.84              Quantity in Stock: 9

2015 MONTE FAUSTINO AMARONE DELLA VALPOLICELLA

Price: $90.00                   Your Price: $79.20              Quantity in Stock: 22

2016 BRIGALDARA CAVOLO AMARONE DELLA VALPOLICELLA

Price: $66.00                   Your Price: $58.08              Quantity in Stock: 1

2016 BRIGALDARA CASE VECIE AMARONE DELLA VALPOLICELLA

Price: $140.00                 Your Price: $123.20              Quantity in Stock: 5

2017 SPERI AMARONE DELLA VALPOLICELLA

Price: $76.50                   Your Price: $67.32              Quantity in Stock: 3

2017 MARCHESI FUMANELLI AMARONE VALPOLICELLA CLASSICO

Price: $87.50                   Your Price: $77.00              Quantity in Stock: 6

2017 MARCHESI FUMANELLI OCTAVIUS, AMARONE DELLA VALPOLICELLA CLASSICO RISERVA DOCG, ITALY

Price: $147.00                 Your Price: $129.36              Quantity in Stock: 6

2018 TOMMASO BUSSOLA AMARONE DELLA VALPOLICELLA CLASSICO

Price: $85.50                   Your Price: $75.24              Quantity in Stock: 1

2020 CORTE LENGUIN AMARONE DELLA VALPOLICELLA CLASSICO DOCG

Price: $45.00                   Your Price: $39.60              Quantity in Stock: 8

Valpolicella

 

2007 DAL FORNO ROMANO VALPOLICELLA

Price: $172.50                 Your Price: $151.80              Quantity in Stock: 4

2008 DAL FORNO ROMANO VALPOLICELLA

Price: $172.50                 Your Price: $151.80              Quantity in Stock: 6

2009 DAL FORNO ROMANO VALPOLICELLA

Price: $172.50                 Your Price: $151.80              Quantity in Stock: 3

2012 MARCHESI FUMANELLI SQUARANO VALPOLICELLA CLASSICO DOC SUPERIORE

Price: $67.50                   Your Price: $59.40              Quantity in Stock: 5

2017 DAL FORNO ROMANO VALPOLICELLA

Price: $151.50                 Your Price: $133.32              Quantity in Stock: 1

2017 TOMMASO BUSSOLA TB VALPOLICELLA CLASSICO SUPERIORE D.O.C.

Price: $52.50                   Your Price: $46.20              Quantity in Stock: 8

2017 MARCHESI FUMANELLI VALPOLICELLA CLASSICO SUPERIORE, VENETO, ITALY

Price: $26.00                   Sale Price: $22.88              Quantity in Stock: 3

2018 MARCHESI FUMANELLI VALPOLICELLA CLASSICO SUPERIORE, VENETO, ITALY

Price: $27.50                   Your Price: $24.20              Quantity in Stock: 1

2018 TENUTA SANTA MARIA DI GAETANO VALPOLICELLA RIPASSO DOC CLASSICO SUPERIORE

Price: $35.25                   Your Price: $31.02              Quantity in Stock: 2

2019 BRIGALDARA VALPOLICELLA RIPASSO SUPERIORE

Price: $33.00                   Your Price: $29.04              Quantity in Stock: 17

2019 BRIGALDARA CASE VECIE VALPOLICELLA SUPERIORE

Price: $44.00                   Your Price: $38.72              Quantity in Stock: 12

2020 BRIGALDARA VALPOLICELLA CLASSICO

Price: $15.50                   Your Price: $13.64              Quantity in Stock: 10

Recioto

2007 QUINTARELLI RECIOTO DELLA VALPOLICELLA 750ML

Price: $495.00                 Your Price: $435.60              Quantity in Stock: 1

2007 QUINTARELLI RECIOTO DELLA VALPOLICELLA 375ML

Price: $250.00                 Your Price: $220.00              Quantity in Stock: 1

2019 MASI ANGELORUM RECIOTO DELLA VALPOLICELLA CLASSICO DOCG 375ML

Price: $50.25                   Your Price: $44.22              Quantity in Stock: 10

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