Corvina

Corvina Veronese, often shortened to Corvina, is the most important red grape in the province of Verona and the defining variety of Valpolicella's wine system. DNA studies have not identified a clear parent variety, though researchers at the Istituto di Genomica Applicata in Udine have confirmed it is genetically distinct from Corvinone (sometimes labelled Corvina Grossa), a variety that once grew alongside it and is now separately classified.

Nearly all of the world's 6,200 hectares of Corvina grow within Veneto's Verona province, across the hillside vineyards that stretch from Lake Garda east to the Val d'Illasi. The grape's thick skins give it a natural resistance to botrytis, a trait that makes it ideally suited to the appassimento method central to Amarone and Recioto production. After harvest, whole bunches are laid on bamboo racks in well-ventilated fruttai, where they lose up to 40 percent of their weight over 100 to 120 days. This concentration transforms the grape's naturally high acidity and moderate tannins into the powerful, glycerine-rich structure Amarone is known for.

From fresh grapes, Corvina produces light-bodied, cherry-scented reds with low tannins and bright acidity, the hallmark of entry-level Valpolicella. The Ripasso technique adds complexity by re-fermenting Valpolicella on the spent skins of Amarone, producing wines of medium weight with dried-fruit spice. Corvina is almost always blended with Rondinella and, in traditional uvaggi, Molinara, though single-varietal bottlings from producers like Allegrini (La Poja) have demonstrated the grape's capacity for stand-alone excellence.

Key producers shaping Corvina's modern identity include Bertani, Masi, Allegrini, Tedeschi, and Dal Forno Romano.