Valpolicella

Literally the "valley of many cellars", Valpolicella, the wine producing region around the northern Italian city of Verona, produces four distinct types of red wines: from light bodied (but fully fruity) Classico, to the very rich and powerful (and alcoholic) Amarone from dried grapes with other styles such as the rich, sweetish Ripasso (refermented on Amarone lees) and Recioto, a rich, sweet, unfortified red made, like Amarone, from grapes which have been dried to concentrate sugars and flavours, for pairing with rich desserts or strong cheeses. It is a much older wine than Amarone but has, in recent years, given way to its drier counterpart. All these wines are made from blends including Corvina, Corvinone, Rondinella, Croatina and Molinara.