The Name Amarone Points Not to a Grape, but to a Method and a Place

Not a few people, on hearing “Amarone,” picture the name of a grape variety. In fact, it is not a grape variety name at all, but a designation that combines a style of winemaking with a place name. Let’s trace how this name came to be formed.

Key Facts

The Story Behind the Name

Often assumed to be a grape variety name, but it is not

Many people believe “Amarone” is the name of a grape variety, but this is a misconception. In fact, it is said to be a style name derived from the Italian word for bitter, “amaro,” referring to a dry style in which sugar and extract are concentrated through a process of drying the grapes in the shade. To this, the place name “della Valpolicella” (of Valpolicella) is added, forming the official name “Amarone della Valpolicella.” The core of this name is that it combines a method (style) and a place (region) — not a grape variety. The grapes used are mainly Corvina, Corvinone, and Rondinella; none of these variety names appear in the designation itself.

A lineage from a sweet wine, and a story told about its birth

The Valpolicella region’s producer association (Consorzio) officially describes the sweet wine “Recioto” as “the forerunner of Amarone and one of the oldest wines of this region.” Both wines share the process of drying the grapes before vinification; what characterizes Amarone is that fermentation is carried through to completion, producing a dry wine with no residual sugar.

As for the specific circumstances of its birth, a story is widely told that “a barrel of Recioto was left to keep fermenting, and it turned into a dry wine with no residual sugar.” The winery said to be the protagonist of this story (today’s Cantina Valpolicella Negrar) itself, on its own official history page, describes this tale as “a story that captivates every time it is heard,” while clearly positioning it as a “legend.” This article, too, treats this story not as historical fact, but as a story that the winery itself, as the party concerned, positions as a legend.

Three Things to Look for on the Label

1. The official designation “Amarone della Valpolicella” plus the DOCG notation (one of the classifications under which Italy officially guarantees a wine’s origin) — the legally official designation under Article 1 of the production regulations.
2. Display of the harvest year (vintage) — Article 7 of the production regulations requires the harvest year to be shown on the label.
3. Whether “Riserva” is indicated — the standard type undergoes a minimum of 2 years of aging, while wines labeled “Riserva” have undergone a minimum of 4 years of aging, counted from November 1 of the harvest year.

Common Confusions

1. Mistaking “Amarone” for a grape variety name — it is in fact a style name plus a place name, and the grapes used are Corvina, Corvinone, and Rondinella.
2. Confusing it with the sweet “Recioto della Valpolicella” — both start from the same shade-drying method, but Amarone is a dry wine in which fermentation has been carried through to completion.
3. Confusing it with the bitter liqueur “Amaro” — the two share the same word origin, “amaro” (bitter), but Amarone is a wine, a separate category from the liqueur Amaro.

Next Region

→ Franciacorta: A Name That Is Both a Place and a Method (Lombardy)

← Back to the series hub — Italian Wine Through Names and Places

Sources

1. Consorzio Tutela Vini Valpolicella, official production regulations “Disciplinare di produzione dei vini ‘Amarone della Valpolicella'” (PDF) — https://www.consorziovalpolicella.it/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/DisciplinareAmarone-della-Valpolicella.pdf
2. Cantina Valpolicella Negrar, official history (English version) — https://www.cantinanegrar.com/en/history
3. Qualigeo (third-party geographical indications database), “Amarone della Valpolicella PDO” — https://www.qualigeo.eu/en/product/amarone-della-valpolicella-pdo/