Red grape variety
Corvina
Valpolicella’s principal variety: pale, sour-cherry-scented and the foundation of Amarone.
What is Corvina?
Corvina in its fresh form makes light, high-acid, sour-cherry-scented Valpolicella at around 12% alcohol.
Dried on racks for several months — the appassimento process — the same grape produces Amarone at 15–16%, with dried fruit, chocolate and enormous concentration. Few varieties span such a range.
Its skins are relatively thin and low in tannin for such a concentrated wine, which is why Amarone is powerful without being harsh.
The Veneto, northern Italy.
The Vitis International Variety Catalogue, maintained by the Julius Kühn Institute, holds this variety as accession 2863 under the prime name CORVINA VERONESE, with berry skin colour noir and country of origin italy. Checked 2026-08-17.
What it tastes like
This is the envelope across every expression of Corvina, not a description of one bottle. Wide ranges are the honest answer.
| Dimension | Typical | Range | Variation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sweetness | low-medium | Some variation | |
| Acidity | medium-plus | Some variation | |
| Tannin | medium | Some variation | |
| Alcohol | medium-plus | Highly variable | |
| Body | medium-plus | Highly variable | |
| Fruit intensity | medium-plus | Some variation | |
| Aromatic intensity | medium | Consistent | |
| Oak influence | medium | Highly variable | |
| Savoury character | medium | Some variation | |
| Floral character | low | Consistent | |
| Herbal / green character | low | Consistent | |
| Spice | medium | Some variation | |
| Earthy character | low | Consistent | |
| Perceived freshness | medium-plus | Some variation | |
| Texture | medium | Some variation |
Common flavours
Wines made from it
The same grape in different places and different hands. These are where the wide ranges above resolve into something specific.
Italy
Amarone della Valpolicella
Dried-grape red of enormous concentration: 15–16% alcohol, dried-fruit intensity, and technically dry.
Italy
Valpolicella
Light, high-acid, sour-cherry red from the hills north of Verona — the fresh counterpart to Amarone.
Italy
Valpolicella Ripasso
Valpolicella re-passed over the drained skins of Amarone, gaining body, alcohol and dried-fruit character.
Dried-grape (passito) wine
Wines made from grapes dried after picking, concentrating them without rot or frost — including both sweet passito and dry Amarone.
Italy
Recioto della Valpolicella
The sweet original from which Amarone accidentally descended — dried Corvina grapes, fermentation stopped early.
Where it grows
- Valpolicella Classico — Italy
- Amarone della Valpolicella — Italy
- Bardolino — Italy
- Valpolicella — Italy
If you like Corvina, try…
Every suggestion says why it is connected and what will be different.
Closest matches
What is most like this?
Sangiovese
A shared high-acid, sour-cherry Italian character.
Firmer tannin and more herbal savouriness.
Valpolicella Ripasso
Both are made from corvina, and the structural profile is close across body, acidity and tannin, both come from the same country.
Expect it to be less oaky, and rounder and creamier in texture.
Amarone della Valpolicella
Both are made from corvina, and the structural profile is close across body, acidity and tannin, both come from the same country.
Expect it to be rounder and creamier in texture, and fuller and richer.
Similar but lighter
Something like this, but lighter?
Gamay
Ordinary Valpolicella occupies similar territory to Beaujolais.
More granitic and floral.
Valpolicella
Both are made from corvina, and they occupy similar territory for weight and structure, both come from the same country.
Expect it to be lighter, and less spicy.
Trousseau
The structural profile is close across body, acidity and tannin.
Expect it to be less oaky, and drier.
Similar but lower in alcohol
Something like this, but less alcoholic?
Valpolicella
Both are made from corvina, and they occupy similar territory for weight and structure, both come from the same country.
Expect it to be lighter, and less spicy.
Gamay
Ordinary Valpolicella occupies similar territory to Beaujolais.
More granitic and floral.
Cerasuolo di Vittoria
The structural profile is close across body, acidity and tannin, and both come from the same country.
Expect it to be more floral, and less spicy.
Similar but fuller
Something like this, but richer?
Amarone della Valpolicella
Both are made from corvina, and the structural profile is close across body, acidity and tannin, both come from the same country.
Expect it to be broader and softer, and more tannic and structured.
Primitivo
The structural profile is close across body, acidity and tannin, and both come from the same country.
Expect it to be broader and softer, and softer and rounder.
Super Tuscan
The structural profile is close across body, acidity and tannin, and both come from the same country.
Expect it to be more herbal and green, and drier.
What to eat with it
Ranked by WineHQ's pairing engine, which reasons from the structure of the dish.
Fillet steak
Works because the finished dish, not the raw ingredient, sets the target.
Grilled chicken
Works because ripe fruit balances the bitterness of char and smoke.
Turkey
Works because the finished dish, not the raw ingredient, sets the target.
Mushroom pasta
Works because the dish is rich, and acidity cuts through fat and refreshes the palate.
Pork chops
Works because a substantial dish needs a wine of matching weight.
Steak
Works because the dish is rich, and acidity cuts through fat and refreshes the palate.
What to avoid with it
Dishes the pairing engine scores badly, and the principle that explains why. A short list: most things are fine.
Korean barbecue
High alcohol will make the dish taste noticeably hotter.
Salmon in a cream sauce
Noticeable tannin is a risk with fish even where the wine is otherwise a reasonable weight.
Lobster
Noticeable tannin is a risk with fish even where the wine is otherwise a reasonable weight.
Salmon
Noticeable tannin is a risk with fish even where the wine is otherwise a reasonable weight.
How to serve it
Temperature
15–17°C
59–63°F · Cellar cool
Most modern rooms are warmer than this. Twenty to thirty minutes in the fridge before serving usually gets a red into range.
Decanting
Optional — it will not hurt, and may help a little
Dense, full-bodied wines tend to open up and show more aroma after time in a decanter.
Glass
Universal wine glass
A medium tulip-shaped glass handles almost everything well. If you own one set of glasses, this is the set to own — the difference between a good universal glass and a grape-specific one is far smaller than the difference between a good glass and a bad one.
Ageing
Most wines made from this grape are for drinking now, but certain styles reward keeping.
Valpolicella is for drinking young; Amarone ages for twenty years or more.
Sources
Sources consulted
- Vitis International Variety Catalogue (VIVC) — Julius Kühn-Institut, Institute for Grapevine Breeding Geilweilerhof
- Italian DOP and IGP wine register — Ministero dell’agricoltura, della sovranità alimentare e delle foreste (MASAF)