Appassimento is the practice of drying harvested grapes before pressing them, concentrating sugar, acid and aroma in the fruit that remains. It is the technique behind Amarone, Recioto, Sforzato and Vin Santo. In Valpolicella grapes typically dry for 100 to 120 days and lose 30 to 40 percent of their weight. This guide explains how the process works and what it does to the finished wine.
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How the process works
Grapes destined for drying are picked earlier than usual, and this matters more than it sounds. Drying concentrates everything, acidity included — so the fruit must go into the loft with enough acidity to stay balanced once a third of its water has gone. Producers also select only the loosest, healthiest bunches, since tightly packed grapes trap moisture and rot.
The bunches then rest in a fruttaio, a ventilated drying loft, on racks or in shallow crates spaced for airflow. Traditionally these were open-sided upper floors relying on hillside breezes; most modern facilities add humidity control and fans, which reduces losses but changes little about the principle.
Over roughly four months the grapes shrivel. Water evaporates; sugars, acids, tannins and aromatic compounds do not. When the fruit is finally pressed — usually January or February in Valpolicella — the must is dense, sugar-rich, and slow to ferment.
The decision that follows
Drying only sets the potential. What determines the finished wine is when fermentation stops:
- Fermentation runs to completion — all sugar converts to alcohol, and the wine is dry despite its richness. This is Amarone, typically 15 to 16 percent.
- Fermentation is halted early — sugar remains and the wine is sweet. This is Recioto.
Same vineyard, same drying loft, same grapes. One decision at the fermentation tank produces two of Italy’s most distinctive wines.
Why dried-grape wines cost more
The economics follow directly from the method:
- Volume loss. Losing 30–40 percent of the fruit’s weight means far more grapes per bottle.
- Time and space. The drying lofts are occupied for months and must be monitored constantly.
- Risk. A humid autumn can spread rot through a loft; affected bunches are discarded outright.
- Ageing. Amarone must age at least two years, four for a Riserva, before it can be sold.
Every one of those factors adds cost before a single bottle is shipped.
Where else it is used
Valpolicella is the most famous home of appassimento but not the only one:
- Sforzato di Valtellina — Lombardy’s dried-grape Nebbiolo, from steep Alpine terraces.
- Vin Santo — Tuscany’s sweet wine, where grapes may hang for months longer.
- Passito wines — made across Italy, notably Passito di Pantelleria from Zibibbo.
The common thread is old and practical: before refrigeration and modern preservation, drying fruit was how you concentrated and kept it. What began as necessity became a signature.
Seeing it in person
The drying lofts are the most striking thing in a Valpolicella cellar, and the only time to see them full is autumn through midwinter — roughly late September to January, when the racks are loaded and the smell of drying fruit fills the building.
Our Taste of Valpolicella tour visits working cellars where the process is explained on site, and the Valpolicella wine tours guide covers when to go.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is appassimento?
Appassimento is the practice of drying harvested grapes for weeks or months before pressing them. As the grapes lose water, their sugars, acids and aromatic compounds concentrate, producing a far richer must than fresh fruit would. It is the defining technique behind Amarone, Recioto, Sforzato and Vin Santo.
How long does appassimento take?
In Valpolicella, roughly 100 to 120 days — grapes harvested in September are typically pressed in January or February. Other regions vary: Vin Santo grapes may hang for far longer, sometimes into spring. Duration depends on the wine, the weather and the style the producer is aiming for.
How much weight do the grapes lose?
Around 30 to 40 percent of their weight, almost all of it water. That loss is why dried-grape wines are expensive: a bottle needs substantially more fruit than a conventional wine from the same vineyard, because so much volume evaporates before fermentation begins.
Does appassimento make wine sweet?
Not necessarily — it depends on when fermentation is stopped. Concentrated must contains far more sugar, but if fermentation runs to completion that sugar becomes alcohol and the wine is dry, as in Amarone. Halt it early and sugar remains, producing a sweet wine like Recioto. The drying sets the potential; the fermentation decides the outcome.
What is a fruttaio?
A fruttaio is the ventilated loft where grapes dry. Traditionally these were open-sided upper floors that used natural airflow off the hills; modern versions use humidity control and fans. Bunches rest on racks or in shallow crates, spaced so air circulates and moisture cannot settle.
Which wines are made using appassimento?
The best known are Amarone and Recioto della Valpolicella near Verona, Sforzato di Valtellina in Lombardy, Vin Santo in Tuscany, and passito wines across Italy including Passito di Pantelleria. The technique also appears outside Italy, though rarely on the same scale or with the same regulatory framework.
