Valpolicella (UK: /ˌvælpɒlɪˈtʃɛlə/,[2][3] US: /ˌvɑːlpoʊl-, ˌvælpoʊl-/,[2][4] Italian: [ˌvalpoliˈtʃɛlla]) is a viticultural zone of the province of Verona, Italy, east of Lake Garda.

Most basic Valpolicellas are light, fragrant table wines produced in a novello style, similar to Beaujolais nouveau and released only a few weeks after harvest.

In December 2009, the production of Amarone and recioto dessert wines within the Valpolicella DOC received their own separate denominazione di origine controllata e garantita (DOCG) status.

[9][10] Viticulture has been used in the Veneto region since at least the time of the ancient Greeks, though the exact period of cultivation for the Valpolicella area is not precisely known.

The tradition of using partially dried grapes (seen today in the modern Valpolicella wines of Amarone) was known as the "Greco" or "Greek style" of winemaking, with its origins likely dating back to this period.

[11] In the 6th century AD, the Roman writer Cassiodorus notes that the sweet wines of the area were favorites in the courts of the Ostrogothic Kingdom of Italy.

[12] Since the 8th century AD, the Republic of Venice was long a vital trading port in the Mediterranean, linking the Byzantine Empire with the rest of Europe.

[13] During the 15th and 16th century, struggles with the Ottoman Turks led to frequent blockades of the Venetian ports, limiting the amount of available export wines from the Greek isles and abroad.

[11] The 19th century brought a series of calamities to most wine-producing regions including the phylloxera epidemic, oidium, downy mildew and the political upheaval of the Risorgimento.

Additionally, the grape composition for Valpolicella wines was expanded to include varieties of lower potential quality such as Molinara and Rondinella.

This led to a general drop in quality, which had a detrimental impact not only on the area's reputation in the international wine market but also on sales and prices.

This sparked renewed interest in planting vineyards in the high altitude hillside locations that produced lower yields of grapes better suited for Amarone production.

[9][10] The Valpolicella region has mostly a mild to cool continental climate that is influenced by its proximity to two sizable bodies of water-Lake Garda to the west and the Adriatic Sea to the southeast.

The most favorably situated vineyards are located in the Monti Lessini foothills in the classico zone where the grapes ripen at altitudes between 490 to 1,500 feet (150–460 metres).

In 1968, the boundaries of the region were extended far eastward towards the DOC production zone of Soave and south to the plains of the northern bank of the Po river and the Adige.

Other grapes used in the production of Valpolicella wine most often include Rondinella and Corvinone, but also Molinara, Rossignola, Negrara, Barbera, Sangiovese[16] and Bigolona.

[16] The sweet red dessert wine Recioto della Valpolicella was awarded its own separate DOCG status in 2010 and has been the style historically associated with the region.

With this technique, the pomace of leftover grape skins and seeds from the fermentation of recioto and Amarone are added to the batch of Valpolicella wines for a period of extended maceration.

Mostly it was produced in warm vintages when batches of wines destined for sweet recioto were unintentionally allowed to ferment completely dry.

The modern concept of Amarone has its roots in the early 1950s when producers "rediscovered" the style and began deliberately using yeast strains that could ferment the high levels of sugars in the wine completely into alcohol.

[9] During the petitioning process, the wine producers in the region established several quality control regulations including quotas on the amount of grapes grown in the fertile plains that could be used in Amarone production.

Typically very alcoholic, full-bodied and ripe-tasting wines are produced in very warm climate regions, where the grapes are able to build up large amounts of sugar while ripening on the vine.