Better Eat Your Wheaties!
Choosing a bottle of wine based on its label appeal is certainly one method of selection, but another factor that you might want to consider the next time you’re out shopping for wine is “Bottle Weight”. While shopping a few weeks ago for a wine tasting party and sizing up some Italian wines, I came across a bottle of Ripasso (often called “Baby Amarone”) that was heavy enough to give someone a frickin’ hernia. My wheels started turning…with so much mass surrounding the 2007 Ca de Rocchi Valpolicella Ripasso Montere, I thought, “maybe the folks at Tinazzi Eugenio & Figli meant for this glass vessel to be used as a bodyguard to protect the precious cargo inside?” With that said, I decided that I would put my new theory to a test.
After I got home, I placed the little pocket Hercules on a scale to find out how much it weighed (as my kids stared at me quizzically). To my astonishment, it clocked in at a whopping 4lbs! This probably doesn’t sound like much to you as you’re reading this post, but try tipping and pouring this behemoth of a bottle about 4-6 times. It won’t take long before you start saying to yourself, “I should have eaten my Wheaties this morning!”
Now I don’t know if there is any credence behind my new bottle weight theory, but after having the 2007 Ca de Rocchi Valpolicella Ripasso Montere I think I might start testing it more. Made predominately from Corvina grapes, this red wine is dense, muscular, persistent and rich, just like its protective outer shell. It displays loads of satisfying sweet black cherry, prune and raisin flavors with the perfect spot of wood to smooth things out. A great buy and workout for under $20!
3 Stars out 4. – Stretch before lifting!
Posted in 3-Star, Reviews-Wine | 
Tags: 2007, 3-Star, Ca de Rocchi Valpolicella, Italy, Red Wine, Ripasso, Wine Reviews, Wines under $20
3 Responses to “Better Eat Your Wheaties!”
I always noticed that the more expensive producer's or the producer's who cherish their product more intensely use heavier glass, hold that bottle up to the light when it's empty and look at the pontil, I'll bet it's massive. There is usually no outward sign of the weight either, it's like their little 'lagniappe' to the consumer…'here's a great wine, which costs more than most, but we love it and we love you so you get a thick, protective bottle for it.'…
yes as a glass maker I know pontils, this is where the glass blower attatches the finished product to the 'handel' i guess nowadays it is done by machine….oh well, yes I always look for a deep pontil.
I know what you mean- I opened a bottle of 2008 Ca' De' Rocchi Dugal and that thing weighs a ton- probably about 4 or 5 lbs. Good wine though, lots of berry flavors, kind of spicy. I think Terranova imports it.