As we head into the darker, colder days of winter it’s time for full-bodied red wines with densely concentrated flavors. Definitely the season for Amarone. Those who love it may be surprised to learn it was an accident. Like any wine worth its grapes it has an interesting story to tell.

Unlike many of Italy’s pre-eminent wines, Amarone hasn’t been around for centuries even though its roots go back thousands of years, to a time when Veneto was controlled by Rome. Red wine in the region was made by air drying grapes, producing a recioto style that was sweet and strong enough to store and be transported in porous clay amphoras.