Vin Liquoreux

A very sweet, syrupy white wine, generally made from grapes affected by BOTRYTIS CINEREA.

In the Veneto region of Italy appassimento means:

A. Minimal intervention winemaking, where as little as possible is done during the winemaking process

B. Some of the grapes are “passed over” or left behind, so that only the best grapes are used

C. The grapes are spread on mats or left to hang in cool lofts to dehydrate them

D. “Thankfully the year has passed”— it’s a traditional Italian toast given at the end of the harvest

Appassimento is the natural dehydration of grapes to achieve concentrated flavors. Two techniques are used. Grapes can either be laid out in the sun on mats to dry or hung in cool, airy lofts so the natural breeze dries them. Both are commonly used in the Veneto for dry and sweet wines. Dry wines made from dried grapes become very full in body, complex, and relatively high in alcohol. Amarone is one of the greatest examples made through appassimento techniques. Amarone is traditionally a bold, dry wine, fermented until there is little residual sugar remaining. Recioto wines are also made in this way but retain sugar at the end of fermentation giving them their character sweetness.

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