Amarone..My Italian Flirt.

In Italian, Amarone literally translates into "bitter". Bitter is also another word for "liquor" (More on this, coming up)....So what is this wine hailed by so many and once called the "wine of love" by the early Romans?

Well more dramatically, Amarone is the definition of that unexplained look I usually get after sipping a glass of its rich opulence and perfected complexities.

My eyes close, the brow is raised, and my tongue noticeably moves in a circular pattern around my lips.

You could say that Amarone is a high mark of what can be done with wine if one really tries. Amarone is a true delicacy. It is hard to make and usually needs many years in the bottle before it peaks with flavor.

I had the pleasure of tasting a double vertical of Masi Amarone in Boston last month and I suddenly remembered how much I love these wines and certainly how much I miss them.

These wines are a maze of complicated efforts that start with sun baked grapes and ends when the glass touches your lips. The usual expression of wonderment soon follows. This expression, and indeed this love is exclusively Amarone.

But be for warned, she is a careless flirt. The empty bottle will soon remind you how she always slips away.

So who is she?

First and foremost she is Italian. She is a perfected blend of regional grapes from Valpolicella, made mostly from the grape Corvina.

Ok, so back to the name.. If you look at Italian liquors you will often see the word Amaro ( or some version of) on the label. As mentioned earlier this means Liquor. Though unrelated...Its also very close to the Italian word for Love.. Amore, which is very much like these wines.

The wine Amarone is a version of that word because of the higher alcohol levels these wines often have (15-16%). This is mostly in part due to a traditional wine making process called appassimente. The grapes are picked late in the season and then dried on bamboo mats under the Venetian sun. They are close to raisins before they are pressed and fermented. This process increases the sugar and then the alcohol in the grapes. It also adds a perfect depth and fullness to an otherwise lighter style wine.

Drenched earth and red fruit flavors swarm in your mouth.A mid palate of blackberry and warm cherry merge with a minute long finish of soft cedar and spice box notes that are surreal and perfectly rich.Wow!

Quite simply Amarone is a delicious prize. These wines need to be coddled and appreciated for their beauty. Always drink them with about 10 years on the vintage and let them breathe for an hour or so before pouring. These are big muscular wines and will change in flavor many times after opening. Try them with brazed ribs,robust pasta dishes and grilled meats.

Here are some of my favorites that rarely disappoint.Oh, and they aren't cheap. They are the top of the food chain in Northern Italy and usually

start around $45 a bottle and go up.