Molinara

Molinara is the palest of the Valpolicella grapes and the one whose role has shrunk the most. It joins Corvina and Rondinella in the blends of Valpolicella, Bardolino and Amarone, and it was for a long time a required part of them, at a minimum share set by the appellation rules.

That requirement was dropped in 2003, and plantings have fallen since. The reason is that Molinara gives very little colour and a great deal of acidity, and in a modern market that rewards depth and richness, growers preferred to plant more Corvina instead. A wine with a high proportion of Molinara looks thin in the glass before anyone tastes it.

The counterargument is that Amarone and Ripasso are big, sweet fruited wines that need acidity to stay drinkable, and Molinara supplies exactly that along with a light red cherry fruit and a dusty, floury note that gives the grape its name, from mulino, the Italian for mill. A few traditional producers keep it deliberately for that reason.