Episode #34 - Amarone wines from Veneto

April 19, 2006

episode34

2000 Cecilia Beretta Amarone Terre Di Cariano

1998 Bertani Amarone

2000 Allegrini Amarone

Gary Vaynerchuk explores some of his favorite wines today when he tastes through some amazing or not so amazing Amerone’s. Watch as gary tastes through the Allegrini Amarone 2000, Bertani Amarone 1998 and the Cecilia Beretta Amarone Terre Di Cariano 2000. This is a wonderful episode and Gary even touches on the mid palate.

22 Responses

  1. about 29 months ago

    Scott Stutz

    Hi Gary, Just a quick note to let you know Wine Library TV is a hit in my book. I’ve learned so much in last few months. Your approach is honest and informative. Keep up the great work. I look forward to your nightly reviews. How about a spot on great value Spanish reds. Also, great review of the 2005 Bordeaux barrel tastings.

  2. about 29 months ago

    Sam Zen

    G- what do you mean you’re going to (try) to keep it up??? Ofcourse you are. Is there any reason why not- are you getting internal pressure to possibly cut the TV blog? As I mentioned to you before, this is a REVOLUTION. Keep it up.

  3. about 29 months ago

    kidseyemd

    sounds to me like the Bertani may have been an “affected” bottle-that “musty” nose could be a tip-off…i’ve had “corked” bottles that smell “off”, and dont taste bad-they just taste flat and devoid of the fruit-i’d try
    another bottle

  4. about 29 months ago

    garyv

    Kidseyemd I have to tell you I am 100% sure it was not corked or “off” bottle it just showed poorly!

  5. about 29 months ago

    Julius

    I think it would be helpful to those that are not familiar with Amarone, and might not want to experience it at that high a price point, to mention that Valpolicella “Ripasso”, which is fermented with the remains of the Amarone grapes, will approximate the flavors of Amarone at a considerably lower price. (It also keeps the meal within budget when the recipe calls for the short ribs to be braised in Amarone.)

  6. about 29 months ago

    Tony

    Gary,

    I sure hope you can keep it up. I’ve added your RSS feed to my home page so that I never miss an episode! There’s so much to learn about wine, and you present it in such an accessible way. I always look forward to learning something new from you. I’d never heard of Amarone before today.

    One thing I’d like to see is a comparison of syrahs from around the world. To me, no grape varies so much in character as syrah. I’ve love to see you compare an Hermitage to a California syrah and an Australian Shiraz, just to hear your take on the differences between the wines and their treatment.

    Keep it up!

  7. about 29 months ago

    K Choi

    Gary,

    It was awesome to finally see an episode on some high-end Italians. I, myself, have always been a huge fan of Amarone, as as Julius said, Ripasso (”repassed”, literally translated) is a poor-man’s substitute for Amarone for those weeknights when you don’t want to spend too much money.

    Just one thing. I may be being a little picky, but the “e” at the end of Amarone is not silent, like all vowels at the end of Italian words. So it’s pronounced “ah-mah-ROW-neh”.

  8. about 29 months ago

    GeneV

    Just received my six pack of the Beretta. I had preordered before the video, but the video was on target. The first bottle was intense fun, but I don’t plan to drink much more of it for another few years to let the tannins settle a bit.

  9. about 29 months ago

    Brian K

    I’ve been a big fan of Amarone for years now.. Two wines to try at great prices are the Cesari Amarone (commonly found in NJ) for around 25 or 30 dollars.
    And one I’ve found here locally in NC - Antica Corte Amarone for 20 dollars. Both are velvetty, hints of fruit and chocolate in the latter. It’s been a while since I’ve had teh Cesari since it’s hard to get in NC.
    Great show!

  10. about 29 months ago

    Rick P.

    Love wines from the Veneto and Lombardy regions, especially the valpolicella, ripassa and amarones of a producer named Zenato. If given the chance try Dal Forno wines; their Amarone is to die for. For a future video I’d recommend the wines of the Lombardy region, especially the sforzato wines of Nino Negri. These wines are made using the ripassa method but are based on the Nebbiollo grape of the region.

  11. about 29 months ago

    Peter Shanahan

    Gary,

    Thanks for these tasting notes. Amarone is among my very favorite wines. Please be careful with your pronounciation of the name of this winemaking style, so as not to mislead your many viewers.

    Sincerely,
    Peter Shanahan

  12. about 29 months ago

    Mark

    Gary,

    I viewed this “Amarone” episode after already taking advantage of WL’s 2000 Cecilia Beretta Amarone Terre Di Cariano presale offer.

    I really like this wine (as did you in the Wine TV episode) but, alas, I am an Amarone novice. I have nothing to which to compare the Cecilia Beretta, and have no idea which food(s), if any, would pair well with this wine. I tried this with a medium-rare prime rib roast which, to my taste, did not pair well at all.

    I am prepared to drink this wine casually on its own or perhaps as an aperitif and will certainly be content to do so. However, if you have suggestions on pairing this Cecilia Beretta with food, please do!

    Thanks,

    Mark
    Morris County, NJ

  13. about 27 months ago

    Krista

    How wonderful to see someone gunning so enthusiastically for Amarone! I discovered it about 6 months ago at a wine tasting class (1999 Giuseppe Lonardi) and it was all I could do to keep from swishing my fingers in the bottom of the glass to coax out the last drops! Pure Heaven! Amarone is indeed expensive, but worth every penny.
    Thanks so much for the fantastic, informative videos. I hope you keep it up. You’re doing a terrific job!

  14. about 24 months ago

    Brandon M

    Never had Amarone, but I’m puting that Beretta in my random case….only 8 more wines to choose from.

    B

  15. about 24 months ago

    Mike F.

    Back in the day we used to drink the hell out of the Bolla and Allegrini Amarone vintage around 88-90. My friends and I loved these wines. We used to drop by each other’s houses on Friday evenings with bottles of the stuff. We would cook up impromptu Italian dishes and enjoy the start of some memorable weekends. After wearing out all the Chianti Classico at the time, we were happy to discover the wines from the Veneto region.

  16. about 16 months ago

    Kelly

    I had the 1998 Bertani Amarone two tuesday’s ago at a steakhouse. It was decanted for 2 hours in one of the wacky Riedel Decanters. It was a lush wine full of creamy notes, coffee, sweetness, and really overwhelmed the nose. The palate was similar with more complexity and the choclate-creamy texture came out. I was disappointed when I found your review to be negative about the wine, my guess is that it needed time to breath and it would have opened up lovely.

  17. about 16 months ago

    David Canada

    I have only had one or two of these so I’ll get my as* to the store…

  18. about 14 months ago

    yowens44

    Droppind terms like spider web and little Ali? Thats two Amarone episodes from GV for me in 1 week. Time to seek one out.

  19. about 13 months ago

    WA Ambassador

    Huh, I don’t think that I’ve ever had one of these. I’ll have to add it to my list of wines to try.

  20. about 8 months ago

    The Fanjestic

    Have not had more than 1 or 2 Amarone wines and only at tastings- so this was an interesting episode, and again one I am likely to come back to when I get more into those wines.

  21. about 3 months ago

    Dan Leavy

    word 35 “superstar.”

  22. about 2 months ago

    Oakmon's BF

    I’m having my first amarone as I rewatch this early episode. It’s 2004 Masi Amarone Classico. I ordered Masi Valpolicella for $14 from the state of Pennsylvania. They charged me $14 but mistakenly sent me the $44 amarone. This is the only reason I’m getting a chance to try one. It’s very good. I like it, but it’s out of my price range.

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