Amarone Equals Amore

Yesterday afternoon I had the pleasure of meeting and sharing a meal at Capital Grille (and a few glasses of wine) with Raffaele Boscaini, a seventh generation family member of the famed Masi winery in the Venetian wine region of Italy. Masi is known for its cherished Amarone wine, which is made from grapes that have been dried on racks in farmhouses for about four months before being pressed. You might think that because the grapes are concentrated that the resulting wine would be cloyingly sweet. Amarone is not. It is dry, but packed with fruit flavors including bright cherry. If you’ve never tried Amarone, you are hear by fined and sentenced to a trip to Central Market on Lovers where you can pick up Costasera Amarone Della Valpolcella Classico for $53.99. Also worth a sip is the Masianco ($14.99), a blend of 75 percent Pinot Grigio and 25 percent Verduzzo grapes. The Verduzzo grapes are aged three weeks in the same style as Amarone. Boscaini said this offsets the flatness of the Pinot Grigio and gives the wine structure and a thicker mouth feel. The result is an easy to drink wine that is perfect with salads and light appetizers.