One of WineMaker magazine's top 100 wine kits for 2009.

Few wines are as bold as Amarone. The secret is in the fragrant perfectly ripened grapes and how they are treated. During the harvest a portion of the grapes are diverted from the crusher and set aside to dry on straw mats. They become extremely sweet raisins. When they are added to the fermenting wine, there's an explosion of new activity, driving up the alcohol content and pushing the color, flavors, and aromas to dizzying heights.

Italian Amarone is a very intense and complex wine, with a wide array of flavors and aromas. Deep ruby red, this heavyweight wine exudes aromas of sour cherries, dark chocolate, stewed plums, dried fruits, anise, raisins, bitter almond, tobacco, leather, and molasses. Its spicy-earthy bittersweet finish rolls on indefinitely from the huge volume of tannins. Delightful with food, Italian Amarone is often also enjoyed by itself, sipped outside of mealtimes with good conversation and good friends. Food pairings: intensely flavored roasts, game, grilled meats, and rich meat sauce pasta. Also, a fine cigar.

Sweetness: Off-Dry
Body: Medium-Full
Oak Intensity: Medium

Extended aging in bottles will greatly enhance flavor.

The 15 liters of varietal juice from international vineyards makes 6 gallons, providing approximately 30 bottles of wine.