Rondinella

Rondinella exists to support Corvina. It is one of the permitted grapes in Valpolicella, Bardolino and Amarone, always in a minority share, and it is almost never bottled alone. The name is a diminutive of the Italian for swallow, said to refer to the dark colour of the berries.

Its virtues are agricultural rather than aromatic. It crops heavily and reliably, it resists disease, and it adapts to most sites in the Veneto without complaint. It also has one specific technical gift: the skins are thick and the bunches dry evenly, so Rondinella comes through the appassimento loft in good condition. Amarone and Recioto are made from grapes dried on racks for months, and a grape that rots in the loft is useless no matter how it tastes.

In the glass it contributes colour, a light cherry fruit and very little else. That is not a criticism of a blending grape. Corvina brings the sour cherry perfume and the acidity, Corvinone brings the structure, and Rondinella fills the middle and makes the crop dependable.