“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.