“Where does the name for this distinctly velvety and soft red wine – the illustrious Amarone – come from?”
I asked this question to Raffaele Boscaini, the seventh-generation owner of Masi Agricola, a prestigious winery in the Veneto that made history with its Vapolicella and other local wines, exporting them around the world and making them more famous in the process. I couldn't have found a more appropriate and passionate champion. Boscaini explained everything about Amarone wine, starting with Recioto, another one of the area's traditional wines. Historically, the latter was paired with traditional Christmas and Easter desserts, and today, it's found new life as a cocktail ingredient. Amarone means “the great bitter” and the dry wine was named as such to distinguish it from Recioto, Amarone's sweet ancestor, also made mostly from the Corvina varietal. Both wines are made from grapes that have been dried out via the appassimento method, though Recioto is fermented for a shorter time, which gives it its sweet flavor and lower alcohol content. In fact, it's rumored that Amarone had a serendipitous start, the result of a Recioto fermentation that lasted too long.
I also asked him about his childhood, and what it was like to be the son of the man nicknamed Signore Amarone – growing up with him, playing among the vines, and breathing the scent of the cellars. Raffaele admits that he is seduced by beauty – he confided that he would have taken up architecture if he hadn't had followed in his family's footsteps. And from the way he spoke about his Amarone risotto, it's obvious that he appreciates the good things in life – so much so that he cherishes every moment he spends at the stove, especially those when he's cooking for his children.
In between chats, we uncorked two bottles for a virtual toast. I opened the Amarone Costasera, because it's the winery's most representative label. Made from the Corvina, Rondinella, Molinara grape varieties, the wine has a modern yet traditional style. Raffaele, on the other hand, went for the Costasera Riserva, which in addition to the three aforementioned grape varieties, also contains Oseleto, a rare native grape variety revived by the Masi family. But when asked what his favorite wine was, he confided that he had a predilection for Campofiorin – another of the winery's icons, the original “Supervenetian” created in 1964.
As dinner approached, we talked about the right glass for Amarone, its optimal serving temperature, and we eventually got to the right pairings with food. If you’re having red meat and aged cheeses or classics like pizza, Raffaele suggested using your imagination and finding the most suitable option for everyone. As soon as the interview ended, I took his advice and discovered that Amarone exquisitely complements rosemary chickpea gachas.