Amarone - A wine with great character
The name is given to the wine because of its slightly bitter note. Bitter in Italian means “amaro”. The deep dark red color alone already magically attracts glances and makes curious about this very special, wonderful wine.
Amarone is a special red wine from Italy (Veneto region), which is produced by a unique process. The grapes from which Amarone is made are drying for several months on wooden racks or straw mats in ventilated storage rooms or under roofs. During this time, they are turned and shifted by hand in a laborious process. Through this process, the grapes lose half their weight as the water inside them evaporates. This shrinkage is what Italians call „appassimento“. However, the sugar and various extra substances remain in the grape. The pressing process begins just before the grapes dry into raisins. The pressed grapejuice provides the unique aromatic style of the wine. After that, the wine matures in oak barrels for at least two more years.
The result is a heavy, powerful, almost creamy wine with a deep red color and a great variety of aromas.
It is grown northwest of Verona – between Lake Garda and Verona – in the Valpolicella wine region with five vineyards. Amarone della Valpolicella has held the highest Italian quality level DOCG (Denominazione di Origine Controllata e Garantita) since 1968. Amarone is made from the grape varieties Corvina, Rondinella and Molinara. The plumpest and best grapes of each vintage are always used to maintain the level of the best Amarone quality.
Whenever Markus Eder has the opportunity, he buys freshly emptied Amarone barrels from his business partners in Italy. We are proud to be able to offer these exclusive barrels to our customers. Take advantage of the wonderful flavors of this pre-stocking from your oak barrel.
Freshness Promise: With our freshness promise, we guarantee that you will only receive freshly emptied barrels. For this reason, we generally do not reserve barrels from a pre-assignment!
Pre-used wooden barrels: Notches in the wood, external stress cracks or possibly an uneven bottom are not quality defects, but rather determined by the peculiarity of the construction and the previous use of the barrels. This does not limit the functionality of the barrel. We check the barrels very carefully for sensory and technical defects during the outgoing inspection. We do not assume any liability for cracks or crazing that occur during maturation. A possible and reasonable repair is not a warranty service.
Instructions for use of pre-matured kegs
Commissioning – to fill the wooden barrel, please proceed as follows:
• Water the outside of the barrel with cold, clear water before use.
• It is not necessary to water the inside of the barrel, we test the barrels for tightness.
• Please do not hit the tap into the barrel with a hammer or similar object, as this will cause the tap to crack and become unusable.
Hint:
An initial leakage of the barrel is by all means nothing abnormal and gives no reason for concern – wood is a natural material and must first expand again for the storage of wines and distillates.
Storage
• The barrels must be stored in an odorless room, the air volume of which is exchanged once a day.
• The ideal humidity (ideal for aging and for storage) is 75% to 80% for distillates, for wine storage slightly above.
• The barrels should be checked every two weeks. This involves checking for leaks, any stave fractures or cracks, and any stave breaks or cracks and the tight fit of the bung.
• After emptying the barrel, it must be stored upright under the same conditions as above. In this way a barrel can survive an empty period of several weeks very well. After that, the barrel must be filled again.
• The ideal storage temperature for these barrels is about 15 degrees – not above 20 degrees Celsius.
For all barrel questions we are at your disposal.
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