Written by Christine Marsiglio MW
Pictured: Wine Folly Wine Map of Italy

Italy Makes Amazing Sweet Red Wine

Sweet red wines are ideal for beginners – but there is a perception that sweeter reds are simple. Not so! There are a few sweet red wines that will change your life – many of them coming from Italy.

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Wine Quiz

Question: Which region in Italy produces sweet Passito style red wines?

  1. Lambrusco
  2. Valpolicella
  3. Barolo
  4. Port

Scroll down to find out!

Pictured: North-East Italy Module of Italian Wine 201

The Main Grape of Valpolicella

Corvina is the headline grape found in all the red wines of Valpolicella. It can produce wines as bold and robust as Amarone and Recioto, or it can produce elegant, light bodied wines, like in Valpolicella Classico. This is one of Italy’s most diverse grapes.

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Pictured: Page 180 of The Master Guide

Valpolicella – A Range of Reds

Valpolicella has everything you need for all seasons of red wine imbibing. From easy-drinking, light-bodied, to full-bodied, age-worthy, and even deliciously complex sweet red wines too.

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Wine Quiz Answer

Answer – #2: Valpolicella is where you will find Recioto della Valpolicella, which is a sweet red wine made from partially dried grapes. These grapes are dried on special straw mats in traditional warehouses using the appassimento method. This concentrates the sugars, tannins, and acidity. The result? An age-worthy, high quality, mind-bending sweet red wine that is utterly delicious.

Written byChristine Marsiglio MW

Christine Marsiglio is Head Wine Educator and Resident Master of Wine for Folly Enterprises and Wine Folly. Christine is a certified Wine & Spirits Education Trust wine educator, a winner of the Bollinger Medal, and holds an MSc in Oenology and Viticulture from École Supérieure d'Agriculture d'Angers, France.