The character

Corvina (full name Corvina Veronese) is the dominant red grape of the Valpolicella zone of the Veneto. It is rarely a varietal wine on its own — almost always blended with Rondinella, Molinara, and sometimes Corvinone — but it provides the structural and aromatic core of every wine from the region: Valpolicella, Valpolicella Ripasso, Amarone della Valpolicella, and Recioto della Valpolicella. The grape’s most extraordinary expression comes from the appassimento (grape-drying) process used to make Amarone.

Where it grows best

Veneto, Italy — specifically the Valpolicella zone north of Verona. Valpolicella Classico (the historic central zone) produces the most respected wines. Higher-altitude sites in Fumane and Negrar produce the most age-worthy Amarone. Smaller plantings in Argentina, California, and Australia, but commercially insignificant outside Italy.

How it tastes

Valpolicella style: red cherry, sour cherry, dried herbs, almond, bright acid, soft tannin, moderate alcohol (12-13%) — a fresh, food-friendly red. Amarone style (after appassimento, where grapes dry on bamboo racks for 100-120 days before fermentation): dried cherry, fig, raisin, cocoa, dark chocolate, leather, tobacco, with alcohol typically 15-16.5% and unusual concentration that comes from the dehydration. Ripasso is a Valpolicella refermented on the Amarone lees — somewhere between the two in style.

How it ages

Top Amarone (Quintarelli, Dal Forno, Bertani, Allegrini, Masi) ages thirty to fifty years. Recioto della Valpolicella (sweet Amarone) ages similarly. Standard Valpolicella is meant for early drinking. Quintarelli’s Amarone in particular is one of the most age-worthy reds in Italy — bottles from the 1970s and 80s drink superbly today.

What to pair with

Valpolicella: pasta with simple ragù, pizza, prosciutto, roast chicken, mid-weight Italian cuisine. Amarone: brasato (beef braised in the wine), aged Parmigiano-Reggiano (especially the long-aged stravecchio), wild game (boar, venison), aged hard cheeses. Amarone is a slow-sipping wine that often works better as a meditation pour than a dinner pour.