An Italian winemaking technique where grapes are partially dried before fermentation. This process concentrates the sugars and flavours in the grapes, resulting in wines that are richer, more robust and often higher in alcohol content. The technique is most commonly associated with Italy, particularly for wines like Amarone and some styles of Valpolicella.
The length of the Appassimento process can vary. The drying phase alone can last from a few weeks to several months, depending on the desired style of wine, the grape variety, and the conditions in which the grapes are dried. Some Amarone wines, for example, involve drying the grapes for around 120 days. Appassimento can be used to make both dry and sweet wines. Amarone is a classic example of a dry wine made using this method. The high sugar content in the dried grapes fully ferments, resulting in a robust, dry wine with high alcohol content. However, if fermentation is stopped early, some residual sugar will remain, resulting in a sweeter wine.
