Wine of the week: An Amarone to cuddle up with

2009 Taste the Difference Amarone, Veneto, Italy (£15.89, Sainsbury's).

When I host my Quintessentially wine masterclasses and other events, the most mentioned style of big red wine that keen wine lovers seem to adore is Amarone. This style hails from the Veneto region of northern Italy and it involves partially drying bunches of grapes in order to evaporate water (often 40% of the weight of the bunch) and increase sugar. This results in a strong, lusty, often high alcohol red wine with a touch of sweetness lurking on the finish heaven.

The problem is that the word Amarone alone is no guarantee of quality after all, it is just the name of a winemaking process and there are shockers out there, often with huge price tags, masquerading as sumptuous and true versions of this mystical style of mighty red wine.

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I am ultra-fussy when it comes to this noble creation and I tend to stick to a very short list of trusted wineries, so I was shocked to find this exceptional version on the high street. Made by expert co-op Valpantena, this is a superbly flashy wine and it is much richer and more brooding than the competition. In these cold winter months, this is the red to cuddle up on the sofa with!

Matthew Jukes is a winner of the International Wine & Spirit Competition's Communicator of the Year (www.matthewjukes.com).