My friend Andy turned me on to Amarone wines when he took me out for dinner to a great Italian restaurant in Yaletown called Amarcord. We had the Tommasi Amarone Della Valpolicella Classico. Wow, what a beautiful, full bodied, smooth red. But at $59.98, I’m not cracking a new bottle seven nights a week so I did some hunting and found the Grandarella.
It’s not a true Amarone; it’s a Super-Venetian, but the grapes are semi-dried in their skins on wood racks like an Amarone. It is delicious, although not in the same league as the Tommasi. The Grandarella is half the price but I wouldn’t say the Tommasi is twice as good. The Grandarella drinks bigger than its price tag at $29.99 from B.C. Liquor Stores.
Tasting Notes from Web:
A dry, round and structured wine. A Supervenetian from semi-dried indigenous grapes (Refosco and Carmenère) produced in Friuli at Castions di Strada by Masi, a specialist in the production of wines from semi-dried grapes, such as Amarone. Grandarella is ideal for red meats, game and cheeses.
Tags: Grandarella, Masi, Wine, Wine of The Night
