What is Appassimento?
With the arrival of winter - at least in Central Otago - we thought it the ideal time to highlight the technique of Appassimento; the partial drying of grapes prior to pressing and to showcase the various wines made using the Appassimento process.
Appassimento is primarily used in the Veneto region in the north of Italy, where the famous signature wine of Valpolicella - Amarone - and its more affordable sibling Ripasso are made, however we also now have wines from Sicily (Nero d'Avola) and Puglia (Negroamaro) which benefit from the inclusion of partially dried grapes.