The ancient Romans gave it the name Val (valley) poli (many) cella (cellars) and Valpolicella is a viticultural area in the province of Verona where the Corvina, Rondinella and Molinara grapes are grown.

Last week, we had a visit from a representative of Masi Agricola, a winery that created Amarone, the most famous of all wines from this area.

Just before his arrival we unloaded an Italian container and the very good news is that all seven wines from Masi have just had their prices reduced. This makes sense considering the weakness of the Euro, but this will not happen across-the-board for a very good reason.

Many of our suppliers around the world charge us in American dollars and in these cases we cannot take advantage of a weaker Australian and New Zealand dollar as well as the Euro, but where we can, we will pass on the benefits.

Appassimento is the method used in Venetian regions to dry the grapes. To make Amarone, Masi lays out the Corvina, Rondinella and Molinara grapes on bamboo mats for about three months and during this time they shrivel up like raisins and lose about 40 per cent of their weight. When pressed, the concentrated must (juice) gives us a wine of great stature and body.

For instance, the Masi Costasera Amarone 2010 is described by the Wine Enthusiast magazine thusly: “Ripe dark fruit, nutmeg, clove and tobacco aromas lead the nose on this bold and balanced wine.

The rich palate delivers black plum, raisin, cinnamon, black pepper and liquorice supported by velvety tannins and fresh acidity. Combining elegance and power, it boasts a wonderful depth. 95/100.” Was $53.65 and now $49.85.

I am a particular fan of Masianco which is a white blend of 75 per cent Pinot Grigio and 25 per cent Verduzzo, the latter being picked a little overripe and then put through the Appassimento drying process.

One critic calls it a very clever wine and I just love the pure, bright peach that greets the nose. It has more body than a typical Pinot Grigio and is just plain delicious. Was $18.70 and now $17.90.

Masi Campofiorin is possibly their best-selling wine overall and I like to think of it as “a baby Amarone”. Made from the same three grape varieties, about 75 per cent is vinified like a lighter-styled Valpolicella, but 25 per cent of the fruit is dried on mats and then it is added to the original wine where it causes a second fermentation.

The result exhibits bright, fresh fruit with sweet spices such as vanilla and cinnamon and this is followed by cherry flavours. Really a very good value and down from $20.95 to $19.70.

Our Masi Possessioni Rosso 2012 is a blend of the traditional Corvina and Molinara grapes, but in this case they use Sangiovese, the classic grape of Tuscany, as the third component.

Cherry joins with clove, star anise, cinnamon, leather and cedar. Overall this wine is a lovely combination of modern and rustic flavours with a smooth finish. The price has come down from $20.80 to $17.95.

Last Thursday, we had a Masi wine dinner at Blu and tasting these wines side by side was a joy. One that really stood out for me was the Corbec 2010 from their vineyards in the Tupungato region of Argentina.

Having spent a wonderful time in their guest house, there I have fond memories of the only vineyard in this country planted with Corvina vines.

The Corbec is a blend of Corvina and Malbec that is dried in the traditional Amarone way.

The nose has intense aromas of fruits of the forest with hints of mint and cinnamon. It is firm but seems to melt on the palate with soft fruit flavours. You will find plums and cooked cherries with attractive vanilla hints leading to a long, bitter chocolate finish. You will save here as it was $38.40, but now only $30.70.

This column is a paid-for advertorial for Burrows Lightbourn Ltd. Michael Robinson is Director of Wine at Burrows Lightbourn Ltd. He can be contacted at mrobinson@bll.bm or 295-0176. Burrows Lightbourn have stores in Hamilton (Front Street East, 295-1554), Paget (Harbour Road, 236-0355) and St George’s (York Street, 297-0409). A selection of their wines, beers and spirits is available online at www.wineonline.bm.