Allegrini 2006 AmarONE

I once again lose my heart (and my tastebuds) to Amarone and naturally the Valpolicella region of Italy. In turn, I also tip my cap to another fabulous woman in wine, Miss Marilisa Allegrini, owner of Allegrini Wines, who's brings all of these entities together with her 2006 AmarONE.

Now, we've learned from past that Amarone is a special wine with a special production method. In turn, its a wine that you often get some pretty distinct attributes when sipping on. Amarone tends to be well-structured while offering complexity and elegance, and Allegrini AmarONE is nothing short of those characteristics.

Celebrating its 60th anniversary vintage this year, this particular wine is special in more ways than one. Its deep purple in both color and flavor and offers a rich bouquet of dried fruit and spice. For an old world style wine, I loved this wine's modernity - it was very polished but blended interesting aromas of dark chocolate and jammed wild berries. It greeted me on the palate in the same fashion, but adding a hint of cinnamon, nutmeg and raisin, and finished with a warm, velvety finish that left me craving more.

And while I didn't wait to uncork this special bottle, in some ways I wish I had because I know its only going to become more special with age. Perhaps that means I have an excuse to go buy some more? Not to say I wouldn't be tempted to uncork it right away again...

Cost: $79/bottle

Where to Buy: Wine.com

Pairing Party: Marilisa has taken her love for food and wine to print by introducing a commemorative cookbook and pairing guide, featuring ten recipes from famed chefs around the world. Tastemakers from Brazil, India, Sweden, Austrailia, Russia, Hong Kong, the United Kingdom, Turkey, Italy and the United States each created a special dish to pair with AmarONE. Each chef offered a creative and stylish recipe including Heart of Palm Fettucine Carbonara, Porcini Mushroom Soup and Grilled Veal Chops with Sweetbreads. I'm definitely trying out a plethora of these recipes!