Why they love Valpolicella and we don’t

Basically, the reasons for this striking disparity in appreciation are:

They had access to other than the dishwater-thin Valpolicella (and Bardolino) with which Bolla inundated our shores in the 60s and 70s. In

America

, Valpolicella still suffers from the effects of that boom and crash of light red wine. That red wine gave us the impression that light red wine was crap.
Could this have been a factor in Parker’s insane rise as wine arbiter maximus? Because American wine drinkers had been conditioned to distrust and devalue Valpolicella? (Note that I said “a factor,” not “the factor.”

Above: Villa Monteleone, one of the good ones

They had access to all the classes and grades of Valpolicella, not just the base-level stuff, which was pretty much all we got, no matter what the labels claimed. (The price of which, by the way, was drastically inflated in the States and presumably other export markets.) A Classico Superiore is a different animal from a plain old Classico, and a Ripasso is considerably brawnier than a CS. After that you get Amarone, which is another beast again.

Lest we forget, the best growers of Valpolicella weren’t much present in the

US

market. They weren’t then nor are they now bargain-bin plonk. They can run a little high in price, though nothing as outrageous as a lot of overpriced Piedmontese and Tuscan stuff. Worth it too, I have to say.

 (By the way, Ripasso is made from the second pressings, of slightly dried grapes for more concentration. Amarone leftovers. Which is not to take anything away from Ripasso; often it is far more drinkable than Amarone, especially if you’re attempting to pair it with food.)

· Speaking of Amarone, while people in

Italy

like it, they seem to reserve their use and praise of it for very particular occasions.

 

After a flirtation with big big big wines, Italians have turned back to lighter, more drinkable ones with a vengeance. Big big big wines tend to be high-alcohol monsters, and if there’s one thing Italians despise (besides George Bush and their image as overweight buffoons of crime on the Sopranos), it’s drunkenness. You can drink all day, a sip here and a sip there if you want, at lunch, in an espresso (the wonderful caffè corretto), a little o’ this and a little o’ that at dinner, dessert wine and cognac included – but never too much at once and nearly always in the presence of food. Yanks and Brits tend to think the Italians are killjoys when they dribble out a tasting-sized pour at table. The Italians’ reply would be: If you’re that thirsty, drink some water.

And even Amarone is changing. Certain producers are making less extracted, alcoholic wines so that they will go better with a meal and not get you drunk after one or (at most) two glasses. Are they Amarones or Ripassos? At times it’s hard to tell the difference, distinct as the methods to make them are said to be.

In

Verona

there seems to be a certain disparagement of the most renowned makers of Amarone, a sense, unfair or not, that they are chasing after points, American sales and eye-popping profits at the expense of balance and reason; which just might indicate a certain jealousy of local boys making so very very good. I could name names but you can figure it out.

There is also a predictable mixture of feelings toward Parker. They fear and dislike his power, but no one wants to be unrated ( = you don’t exist) or get a bad score ( = you may as well not). They grumble about the pressure to go on making the big big big wines. When I told people there and in other areas about the counterweight of Eric Asimov, they seemed not to credit me. Few knew he is the head wine guy at the NYT, a fact that frankly amazed me. (It’s nice to be in the position of expressing frank amazement.) 

I told them that Eric, whom they confused with his late uncle, has, through a personal preference for balanced wines, become a new leader among core wine drinkers. A new day soon will dawn.

And behold, the new Italian hit parade of reds leans heavily on lighter, less concentrated varieties  from the North (Lagrein, Pinot Nero, etc.) and

Sicily

(Cerasuolo, Frappato).

To put it in terms even an American ( = somewhat stupid fat person who wears pastels and a fanny pack) can grasp, “Sideways” struck a cultural nerve in Italia. The “Sideways” effect seems to have gone home to

Italy

; and like a good Italian son after college, will probably remain in his old room until his parents boot him out or, more likely, die when they’re even older than Queen Elizabeth. Then he’ll own the joint without a mortgage.

Comments

[Fede - Fiordimela]

Ciao Terry!

welcome here in Italy! See you on 13th!

...and if they in US don't like Valpolicella, we are really happy about it, we have more of it to drink here!

Ciao!

Fede

[Lizzy]

I vote for a Valpolicella's Day in NYC, in some important place (not necessary a restaurant. Perhaps a museum, or something of this kind? Wouldn't it be original??) All and only our (mine and yours, Terry) favourit Valpolicella.
Do you agree??
;P

Lizzy

[Terry Hughes]

Yes, in the period before a big summer or spring holiday, like before Memorial Day, July 4 or Labor Day. (To name but 3 examples.) It would be good to emphasize that they are wines of easy "beva" and that they can go with all kinds of foods, including traditional picnic fare AND more ambitious meals.

Very nice idea!

[Fede - Fiordimela]

Hey hey there! You're going to take away from us all our precious Valpolicella!!!

Ciao Terry! Bentornato!

Fede

[Gabrio Tosti]

It's not true people here loves valpolicella as long it cost a furtunre like the Dal Forno or Quintarelli...
Buona Bevuta a tutti

[Terry Hughes]

These people are sheep, no? Scemi!