That's Amarone! Try This Italian Icon Free at Mini-Wine School

"When the new grapes are dried, and their sweetness is high, that's Amarone."

Apologies, but the unique wine Amarone compelled me to create new lyrics for the Italian-themed song "That's Amore."

Amarone - or more accurately Amarone della Valpolicella - ranks among those wines people remember from their very first time. And you can try one at the next CHEERS Mini Wine School, held Wednesdays in all stores.

What makes this powerful rich red wine so special?

The grapes are picked and then dried for up to three or four months before being made into wine, part of a time-consuming expensive process called appassimento. This shrivelling of the grapes cuts water content by one third, and the ensuing high sugar concentration leads to higher alcohol levels.

Amarone hails from the hilly Valpolicella area in the northern Italian province of Veneto, next to Verona, which is home to millennia of history as well as site of the play Romeo and Juliet.

And Amarone is about as intense as that Shakespearian play, loaded with dark berry and plum flavors, and often complex notes like tobacco, leather, spices and figs.

This wine pairs well with rich foods. In the novel, The Silence of the Lambs, Hannibal Lecter infamously enjoyed his Amarone with liver and fava beans. (The movie version changed his wine choice to Chianti.)

You can try Zironda Amarone free next Wednesday at any CHEERS shop. And if you buy a bottle, you also get one free Plastered 8 bag.

Check out the other Wednesday tastings, too, including on February 17 when the featured wine will be Vogel Dornfelder, a grape we covered here. It's a great way to "try before you buy" and to learn a bit more about wine.

Scan the QR code below to locate the nearest CHEERS Wines shop.

Original by Jim Boyce, Grape Wall of China 葡萄围城

Tap here to read more articles on wine culture.