Recioto, a historic wine from Valpolicella (DOCG), is now a Slow Food Presidium

Recioto, a historic wine from Valpolicella, has become marginal, in numbers, as its production has given way to Amarone, Valpolicella, and Ripasso wines. Today, in addition to being protected by the DOCG, it has become a new Slow Food Presidium in the Veneto Region. “Recioto is the iconic wine of Valpolicella, the “father” of Amarone (originally called Recioto Amaro), which brought this wine-growing region to world wide fame. Its history is thousands of years old, like the ancient appassimento (drying) technique used in the Verona area to preserve fruit during the long winter months”, Slow Food explained. The Chiocciola (snail, symbol of Slow Food) continued, “the first person to mention “vino acinaticum”, obtained by pressing these dehydrated grapes, was Pliny the Elder in the 1st century AD. Much later, Cassiodorus, a 4th-century AD historian and scholar at the services of Theodoric, described this dense juice so rich in sugars that yeasts struggle to fully convert it into alcohol, as ‘winter must, the cold blood of the grapes’”. Its name comes from the word, rècie (ears, in the local dialect), or the wings of the grape bunches that were hung on trellises during the laborious drying process. Recioto is made from carefully selected bunches of local grape varieties, including Corvina, Corvinone, and Rondinella as well as, though to a lesser extent, from other native red grape varieties such as Molinara, Oseleta, Pelara, Dindarella, Spigamonti, and Turchetta”, Slow Food explained.
“We decided to start a Presidium on Recioto”, Roberto Covallero, president of Slow Food Veneto and coordinator of the Presidium, explained, “well aware that it is a complex project, because this wine, so iconic for Valpolicella, has been in constant decline over the past 20 years - out of the total amount of bottles produced in Valpolicella, only 0.6% is Recioto”. The International success of Amarone, Slow Food pointed out, has pushed producers to allot a large portion of their dried grapes to that wine, over the years, plus there has also been a general decline in consumption of sweet wines. Recioto wine has too often been relegated as a dessert treat at the end of a meal in restaurants, rather than being paired with savory dishes, which was the tradition in local cuisine. “Our goal is to save it from oblivion”, Covallero continued, “and we are starting with the first seven producers who have shared this project - Cantine Mizzon, Venturini, Roccolo Grassi, Corte Merci, La Dama, Giovanni Ederle, and Novaia - and then we will bring in other producers in the future. Smaller wineries that are more closely tied to the territory and tradition are especially interested, since they already produce sustainably, and in total respect for the environment and biodiversity”. The Recioto Presidium regulations are very strict, as they are inspired by the principles of the Slow Wine Coalition, which are stricter than the DOCG regulations. “We would like to contribute, in our own small way, to the revival, now underway, of the entire Verona wine sector”. Specifically, the regulations do not require chemical weed control, but do require that the selection of grapes comes from vines at least 15 years old and managed by the Presidium, dry naturally in a specified room for at least 100 days, have very low levels of sulfites, are released for sale no earlier than five years after the harvest, at least one year in the bottle, and a commitment to preserving the terraces and the historic rural landscape of Valpolicella, in general.
At the presentation of the project, Nicola Perusi of Cantina Mizzon, contact person and spokesperson for the Presidium producers, explained the reasons, according to the promoters, it is important to join this Presidium. “First and foremost, the desire to rediscover a wine that everyone remembers. There were once two versions of Recioto. The younger version, which the DOCG rigorously regulates, and an aged version that over time has been lost, in favor of Amarone. Many producers have abandoned this version, which once reached peaks of excellence, or have significantly reduced its production. Recioto wine reveals its greatness in aging, which gives Recioto its depth, its complexity of aromas and structure. I am very pleased that within just a few days, seven producers have signed up. This wine that has a thousand-year history must return to being the great wine of Valpolicella”. Corinna Gianesini, a contributor to the Slow Wine guide, participated in drafting the regulations, and has highlighted two other important aspects of the project. “One aspect is the commitment of the participating wineries to produce Recioto del Slow Food Presidium only in vintages that yield the highest quality, while the other is aspiring to preserve not only a style of wine, but also the territory. The vineyards are for the most part cultivated on hillsides, maintaining the terraces, the fact that no weeding is used— that is, work that for winemakers, begins in the countryside, respecting the land. The commitments of the producers to the regulations are important, but we have also seen that they are very happy. When you set high goals, people are happy to achieve them”.
The debut of the Presidium will be held, of course, at the “Slow Wine Fair” 2026 at BolognaFiere, from February 22nd to 24th, where producers who for years have been following the characteristics indicated in the Presidium regulations, will bring their wines.