Corvina

Originally from Veneto, Italy

Corvina is the backbone of Valpolicella and Amarone, from the hills north of Verona. On its own it makes a pale, light-bodied red with high acidity, modest tannin, sour cherry fruit and a characteristic bitter-almond finish. Its thick skins are what make it exceptional for appassimento, the drying of grapes on racks that concentrates them into Amarone, so the same grape yields both one of Italy's lightest reds and one of its most powerful. It is almost always blended with Corvinone, Rondinella and sometimes Molinara and Oseleta.

Corvina, Corvinone, and Rondinella are the primary grape varieties used in the production of Valpolicella wines, contributing to their characteristic cherry and red fruit flavors, often with a hint of bitterness.