Corvina: The Grape of Verona, From Valpolicella to Amarone
From Bardolino to Recioto, from €13.50Corvina rarely leaves the province of Verona. It gives little color, a lot of cherry, and an acidity that holds up even in the most concentrated wines. It is rarely found alone: Rondinella almost always accompanies it, sometimes Molinara and Corvinone.
Its appeal lies in a specific process: the drying of the grapes before fermentation. The same vineyard produces a light red at €14.90 or a wine for aging at €55, depending on whether the grapes go to the press fresh or after three months of drying on racks. The following table compares the four versions side-by-side.
Gini Scajari - Scajari Riserva 2011
A Venetian red wine of terroir, ample and structured, where the depth of the fruit meets the elegance of the volcanic hills of Soave.
Gini Scajari - The Mattoline 2018
A Venetian red from volcanic hills, combining aromatic intensity and balance on the palate.
Zeni - Valpolicella Classico 2024
A pure expression of Corvina, the king grape variety of Veneto
Zeni - Recioto della Valpolicella Classico "Vigne Alte" 2022
A Recioto della Valpolicella combining freshness and aromatic concentration
Zeni - Corvina Veronese 2020
A pure expression of Corvina, the king grape variety of Veneto
Campagnola - Piuma Valpolicella Ripasso 2019
A round and charming Valpolicella Ripasso
Zeni - Cruino Red Veronese 2019
Coming from pure Venetian tradition, an Amarone that doesn't say its name!
Zeni - Amarone della Valpolicella Classico "Vigne Alte" 2019
A haute couture Amarone with a seductive and intense aromatic palette
Zeni - Bardolino Chiaretto Classico "Vigne Alte" 2025
A gastronomic rosé, with gourmet flavors of red fruits
Zeni - Valpolicella Ripasso Superiore Marogne 2023
Complexity, finesse and roundness, this wine is a wonderful foretaste of Amarones.
Buglioni - Il Lussurioso - Amarone della Valpolicella Classico 2020
A high-class Amarone with intense and persistent notes of ripe black fruits, dried fruits and spices.
Buglioni - L'imperfetto Valpolicella Superiore 2023
Round and velvety with a deep and long intensity on the palate
One grape, four wines, and the drying that decides
Valpolicella is one of the rare vineyards where the label states neither the grape variety nor the vintage, but the process. The grape is the same from one row to the next in this picture. What changes is the time spent on the racks before the vat, and the moment fermentation is stopped.
| The wine | What we do with grapes | What it looks like | In our cellar |
|---|---|---|---|
| Valpolicellafresh grapes | Harvested and vinified without drying, like a regular red wine. | Light, taut, cherry, and bitter almond. A table wine served chilled. | Zeni Valpolicella Classico 2024€14.90 |
| I'll get back to you. repassed on the pomace | A Valpolicella refermented on the pomace of a freshly drawn Amarone. | More volume, degree, and dried fruit, without the power of Amarone. | Zeni Ripasso Superiore Marogne 2023€25 |
| Amaroneraisin sec | Bunches dried three to four months on racks, 30 to 40% of the weight lost. | Dry despite the concentration: black fruits, cocoa, a high alcohol content, and a long aging potential. | Zeni Amarone Vigne Alte 2019€55 |
| Recioto raisined and sweet | Same dried grapes, but fermentation is stopped before the end. | There's residual sugar: candied fruit, black cherry, an acidity that prevents heaviness. | Zeni Recioto Vigne Alte 2022€55 |
The four lines are signed by the same winery, Zeni, established near Verona since 1870: five of their wines are available, out of the seven we list. The Buglioni L'imperfetto holds an intermediate position: it blends a freshly harvested Valpolicella with the same grapes dried until November.
Food pairings, from rosé to recioto
The same grape variety, six different situations. This is the other way to read this page: instead of starting from the process, we start from what's on the plate.
| The dish | Why it works | The bottle |
|---|---|---|
| Cured meats, antipasto | The rosé retains the fruit of the Corvina without weighing down the start of the meal. | Zeni Bardolino Chiaretto Vigne Alte 2025€13.50 |
| Tomato pasta, pizza | The wine's acidity matches that of the tomato, and the tannins remain discreet. | Zeni Valpolicella Classico 2024€14.90 |
| Braised beef, risotto | A long cooking time requires substance: Ripasso has it, without overpowering the dish. | Zeni Ripasso Superiore Marogne 2023€25 |
| Game, stews | Frank and slightly wild flavors, which demand the concentration of Amarone. | Zeni Amarone Vigne Alte 2019€55 |
| Aged cheeses | Hard and soft cheeses from Veneto, on a mixed-vintage superiore. | Buglioni L'imperfetto 2023€138 for 6 |
| Dark chocolate, red berry tart | Recioto is sweet and sour at the same time: dessert doesn't make it disappear. | Zeni Recioto Vigne Alte 2022€55 |
Serve Valpolicella and Bardolino around 15°C, and Amarone and Recioto at around 17°C. The 2011 Gini Scajari Riserva is already aged: open it without decanting and let the glass do the work.
What to Drink, Depending on the Occasion
The tables give the theory. Here are the bottles, and only those that can be shipped today.
A first valpolicella
Corvina Unfiltered: fresh cherry, light tannin, serve at around 15 °C. Also available in a pack of three for €38.70.
Zeni Valpolicella Classico 2024 · €14.90The same grape in rosé
Bardolino Chiaretto, on the high hills of the eastern shore of Lake Garda. Strawberry, raspberry, vine peach. Drink within the year.
Zeni Vigne Alte 2025 · €13.50Understanding Ripasso
The link between Valpolicella and Amarone: more depth and warmth, for less than half the price.
Zeni Ripasso Marogne 2023 · €25An Amarone for the winter table
Sun-dried grapes, dry and dense wine. Braised beef, game, aged cheeses. Decant for one hour.
Zeni Vigne Alte 2019 · €55The sweet version
Same drying process as Amarone, fermentation stopped along the way. A sweet wine from Veneto, with candied fruit notes.
Zeni Recioto Vigne Alte 2022 · €55Corvina outside Valpolicella
Monteforte d'Alpone, east of Verona, on basalt and tufa. Black cherry, plum, a mineral tension not found elsewhere here.
Gini Scajari Le Mattoline 2018 · €124 for 2A vintage already opened by time
The 2011 Gini Scajari, Riserva. Nothing to wait for: it's the most expensive bottle on the shelf and the most ready to drink.
Gini Scajari Riserva 2011 · €176Six bottles to entertain
Valpolicella Superiore, half from September harvest, half from grapes dried until November. Sold by the case.
Buglioni L'imperfetto 2023 · €138 per 6See all of Italy
Piedmont, Tuscany, Veneto, Sicily, Apulia: the Italian section complete.
Our Italian Wines
Four bottles, a single grape, and the drying room that cuts through
Elsewhere, wines are classified by terroir. In Valpolicella, they are classified by process, and that can be confusing. Two adjacent bottles on our shelf may come from the same plot, the same year, the same winemaker, and yet have almost nothing in common in the glass. The drying loft where the grapes wither matters more than the hillside.
The practical consequence is simple: don't judge Corvina on a single try. A light Valpolicella drunk with a stew will seem thin, an Amarone opened as an aperitif will seem exhausting. These are two different tools, not two levels of quality, and Ripasso occupies exactly the middle ground between the two.
How do you choose
Freshness, including in dried grape wines. An Amarone that only offers alcohol and jam becomes tiring before the glass is finished.
And the legibility of the process: we must recognize by nose that a Ripasso has indeed been refermented, without the wine trying to pass itself off as an Amarone.
The Wine Wanderer Team
What we're being asked for on the Corvina
What is Corvina?
A red grape variety from the province of Verona, in Veneto. It produces little color, marked acidity, and recognizable cherry fruit. It is rarely vinified alone: Rondinella almost always accompanies it, sometimes Molinara and Corvinone. It is the grape that carries Bardolino, Valpolicella, Amarone, and Recioto.
Valpolicella, Ripasso, Amarone, Recioto: what's the difference?
The grape is the same, the process changes. Valpolicella is made from fresh grapes. Ripasso is a Valpolicella that has been re-fermented on Amarone pomace. Amarone comes from grapes dried for several months and ferments to completion, so it is dry. Recioto starts with the same dried grapes, but fermentation is stopped before the end: it is the only one of the four that remains sweet.
What exactly is the ripasso method?
Once the Amarone has been drained, its pomace is still rich in sugar and matter. A Valpolicella that has already firmly fermented is added to it, a second fermentation begins, and the wine gains in alcohol, body, and dried fruit notes. The technique is ancient, but it only became widespread in the 1970s.
Is Amarone a sweet wine?
No. The grapes dry for three to four months and lose 30 to 40% of their weight, but fermentation converts all the sugar into alcohol. The result is a dry, very concentrated wine, usually over 15%. If you're looking for the sweet version of the same process, recioto is the wine to open.
Does Bardolino also come from this grape variety?
Yes, with Rondinella. The vineyard is located on the eastern shore of Lake Garda, further west than Valpolicella, and the lakeside climate produces significantly lighter wines there. Chiaretto is the rosé version: our Zeni Vigne Alte 2025 is the cheapest bottle on the shelf, at €13.50.
At what temperature should it be served, and should it be decanted?
Bardolino and Valpolicella are best enjoyed chilled, at around 15°C, without decanting. Ripasso benefits from half an hour of aeration at 16°C. Amarone requires a good hour of decanting and is served at around 17°C: served too warm, its alcohol content becomes overpowering. Recioto is served chilled, at around 14°C.
How long should these wines be kept?
Bardolino and Valpolicella should be drunk within two to three years, as that is when they are at their most straightforward. Ripasso will hold for five to eight years. Amarone and Recioto can easily last a decade, and the best ones go well beyond. There's no obligation to wait: these wines are released ready to drink.
Which bottle should I start with?
With the Zeni Valpolicella Classico 2024 at €14.90, which showcases the grape variety without artifice, then with the Ripasso Marogne 2023 at €25 to gauge what the amarone pomace brings. The amarone itself comes third, once these two benchmarks are established.