Recioto della Valpolicella: The History and Secrets of the “Father” of Amarone

The name Recioto is connected to the Veronese dialect recia, or “ear,” recalling the sun-exposed upper bunches once favoured for their sugar concentration. Corvina Veronese, Rondinella and Corvinone are selected manually between September and October, then dried for 100–120 days under controlled conditions. After pressing, slow fermentation at controlled temperature is stopped before completion to preserve natural sugar, followed by about six months in bottle. The traditional account of a Recioto fermentation continuing to dryness explains its description as the father of Amarone.