ITALIAN AMARONE

[wondersofwine]

Yes, you can get a basic Valpolicella (translates as Valley of Many Cellars--wine cellars that is) that is not a Recioto or Amarone and will be less expensive.

I think North Carolina wineries have a long way to go yet. Some, like Duplin, use a lot of native labrusco grapes. Childress is a fairly new winery that may produce serious wines sometime in the future. I do enjoy some of the wines from Biltmore, but they get many (most?) of their grapes from outside North Carolina.

Masi and Tedeschi are both producers in this region. Their wines, particularly Masi, tend to be very expensive, and there are other producers that I find enjoyable at a lower price. You could ask a wine retailer for help selecting some samples.

Chianti wines have Sangiovese as the primary grape in the blend. They can be tannic when young and I often like them better the second day (I recork and put in the refrigerator overnight.) They often mellow a bit overnight once opened. I like them with tomato-sauced Italian pasta dishes, lasagne, etc.