Amarone promoted to DOCG

Amarone has been promoted to the highest possible quality level.

Italian DOCs Amarone della Valpolicella and Recioto della Valpolicella have been promoted to the status of Denominazione Origine Controllata e Garantita (DOCG) Italy’s Agriculture Minister has announced.

DOCG is the highest quality level allowed by both Italy and the EU, with the move understood by many to be a step to define Amarone’s status to its most important export market, the USA.

Carlo Boscaini, of his eponymous estate, said ‘it is unfortunate that it arrives after 15 years of battles between producers.’

Sabrina Tedeschi, too, has been waiting the promotion for many years saying that ‘it is very important on for our economy as it is one of the best Italian wines sold abroad.’

She argued that this should be the first step in a review of the zone to define a limited area of hilly vineyards over flat vineyards as deserving of DOCG status.

Retroactive to the 2008 harvest, the move was preceded by the Ripasso style of Valpolicella receiving its own DOC.

Giuseppe Rizzardi of Bardolino’s Guerrieri Rizzardi celebrated the impact this measure would have upon diminshing the amount of fake Amarone sold on some export markets.

The National Wine Commission who approved the promotion, also dismissed the application for adjustment of DOC rules for Collio, Gorizia, Bivongi, Marino, and the IGT Quistello.

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Written by David Furer

David Furer is a Californian wine writer, educator, consultant and speaker, who has worked for over 20 years in the wine trade. He has appeared in publications such as Decanter, Wine Business Monthly in the US and SommelierS Int’l in France. He formerly served on the Circle of Wine Writers’ executive committee and is a sommelier with accreditation from the Court of Master Sommeliers. In his book, Wine Places, he collaborates with photographer Charles O’Rear to capture some of the world’s vineyards, wineries and winemakers.