This was the first wine we bought in Padova and it was a disappointment. Vapolicella ripasso is a style of wine made by adding grape husks to an already fermenting batch of wine to give it sweetness and body. I didn't know this when we bought it. I asked the salesperson at the wine store "Dov'e gli vini di veneto?" and got in return a bunch of gibberish. (I think these people who don't speak English should either learn it or go home.) Anyway, all I heard was uva, rossi, Verona--good enough for me to plunk down 12 Euros in hopes of a relaxing glass or two and expanded tastes.
The 14% alcohol content should have cued me into the fact that this would be head-splittingly sweet, to the extent that it overpowered what ought to have been a complex profile of flavors. It hits the nose like sherry or port and gives me the same nauseated feeling. I got through about three sips: the first eagerly, the second with fortitude, and the third in that vain hope we have about endeavors we know are failing. To be fair, the second sip was the best. I allowed the wine to stay in my mouth long enough for some of its flavors to open up but I can't name them. This would be a fine wine to pair with chocolate, ice cream, or sweet soft cheeses, but the thought of finishing the glass I'd poured with my arugala salad was simply too much. I recoiled at the thought of the headache I'd be lining up for from even a glass of the stuff. So soberly, and sobered about ripasso, I resolve not to buy this style of wine again.
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