November 16, 2021
20-Buck Bottle: Light, fruity, delicate red from Italy
Fresh herbs and cherry aroma make this a delightful food wine
Photo courtesy. Featured photo by Rafael Andrian/Scopio.
2019 Pra Morandina Valpolicella, Verona, Italy
Available at: winestore
Price: $19.99
On the nose: Cherry, basil, thyme, hint of earth
On the palate: Light to medium body, integrated tannins, light acidity, medium plus finish
On the plate: Pair alongside linguine with fresh tomatoes, flounder with butter and lemon, or sautéed chicken breast.
Our take: This wine usually costs $25-$28; this is a good value for a food-friendly wine.
Fun fact: Corvina is the grape that is used to make Valpolicella, Valpolicella Ripasso, and Amarone. (A small amount of Rondinella and Molinara are sometimes added). Valpolicella is the lightest bodied of the trio; Ripasso (re-passed) means that some grape skins are added back into fermented juice to cause a small, second fermentation which gives the wine more body. The best quality grapes are placed on mats or burlap and left to dry to almost raisins, and then the juice is extracted, and this yields Amarone. All these wines are made in the Veneto region, all from the same grapes, but using different production methods.
