If the grapes are dried before making the Amarone wine, where does the juice come from?
Answer From Expert Roger Bohmrich MW
I'm happy to field a question about Amarone della Valpolicella, a wine from the Veneto I admire and enjoy very much - and one that deserves an even higher profile among the world's great red wines. This distinctive wine relies on a blend of local grape varieties and, critically, a drying process called appassimento. The fruit is typically picked in the first half of October and is then spread out on straw mats in open lofts until January. Some modern producers utilize chambers in which humidity and temperature can be controlled. It is common that the grapes lose 30 to 40% of their weight during the dehydration process that increases sugar concentration. In some cases, the grapes are partly infected with "noble rot" (botrytis cinerea). There is still enough juice to create a dense, full-bodied wine that is powerful and rich in fruit. By the way, Amarone is a fabulous partner for aged cow and sheep milk cheeses as well as any strongly-flavored meat stews.
