2016 Valpolicella Ripasso Zardini Winery
I keep learning about Italian wines. They are some of the most fun and imaginative wines in the world. For instance, Italian wine makers dry perfectly good grapes into raisins. Then, they put this dried fruit into vats for specific type wines: a sweet dessert wine or a rich red, full bodied wine. Here’s a Valpolicella Ripasso; “Ripasso” refers to the process. The winemaker gets regional grapes to make fresh, early Valpolicella wine. After a few weeks, Amarone pomace is stirred in; the pomace is the crushed grapes, seeds along with leaves. Allowing full fermentation, the wine gets bottled for us. The Ripasso process creates a slightly different wine from a Valpolicella Classico, because it is lighter. This Zardini Winery red is quite drinkable. The nose is mushroom earthy. The dark red color fits. Tasting has plumb, dark chocolate with a full tannin finish. The wine will pair well with beef, spaghetti Bolognese, veal, wild duck, or venison. It is a “drink it now” wine rather than cellaring it as a keeper.
